Thomas Rid

Thomas Rid, a Professor of Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins University and author of 'Active Measures,' delves into the intriguing history of disinformation. He discusses the evolution of misinformation tactics, highlighting the powerful KGB strategies during the Cold War and the impact of rumors, such as the AIDS bioweapon myth. Rid also examines the ethical dilemmas of using covert operations in geopolitics and the lessons we can draw from past events to understand contemporary influence campaigns.

Thomas Rid, a Professor of Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins, discusses his book on the secret history of disinformation and political warfare. He delves into the evolution of disinformation tactics since the Cold War, including chilling KGB operations. Rid shares insights from interviewing former intelligence officials and sheds light on the complexities of modern disinformation in the digital age. The conversation also examines the Internet Research Agency's influence on electoral interference, highlighting the critical role journalism plays in shaping our understanding of these campaigns.

Thomas Rid, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and expert in disinformation, dives deep into the Kremlin's Doppelganger operation, which fakes credible news websites to spread misinformation. He reveals insights from leaked documents that shed light on Russia's evolving tactics and the unintended consequences of increased public awareness. The conversation also touches on AI's role in these campaigns and the challenges of assessing their effectiveness. Rid emphasizes the delicate balance journalists face in reporting on disinformation without amplifying its reach.

Thomas Rid is a Professor of Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Aric Toler is the Director of Research and Training at Bellingcat. Both have been writing about the latest megaleak out of the U.S. national security establishment, a story that the New York Times reported on last week and that gets weirder and weirder every day that passes. Rid has been tweeting about the subject, and Toler is the author of a major investigation for Bellingcat on it.Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes sat down with them to talk about the strange details of the leak: the Discord servers, the Minecraft servers, the weird group of gamers who are by their own account a bit racist, the huge damage to both U.S. and Ukrainian national security interests, and that the leak appears to be a big win for Russia, even though Russia doesn't appear to be behind it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cyberwar is here, proclaims Thomas Rid, professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in a New York Times op-ed last week entitled, “Why You Haven’t Heard About the Secret Cyberwar in Ukraine.” While some cyber warfare experts expected massive cyberattacks against Ukraine before Russia invaded in February of this year, Rid suggests in his op-ed that significant cyberattacks have occurred, but they are more covert and insidious in nature, and we're not focusing on them. Stephanie Pell spoke with Rid about the kinds of cyber operations and attacks we have seen in Ukraine, how we might compare and contrast them, along with some of his insights about the use of leaks and disinformation in this conflict.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.