Information influence and hybrid influence activities

Information influence activities are typically orchestrated by a state player that uses influencing to promote its own goals. Many other operators may also apply the means of information influencing.

The methods of information influencing include

• intimidation with threatening future scenarios that a decision in society would lead to
• mobilising and disseminating falsified information or a deliberate perspective
• physical acts, such as GPS jamming or instrumentalised large-scale migration, which cause concern in humans.

Information influencing is often related to topics that people would also be otherwise discussing. Typically, the aim is to influence the emotions that the topic stirs in people. Amplifying existing divisions from the outside is a basic means utilised in information influencing.

For example, a person sharing their views or official communications are not examples of information influence activities. In addition, not all false and misleading content found online and in other information sources is a form of information influence activities.

• Freedom of expression and opinion: People have the right to their opinions and express them in open discussions. The self-expression of an individual is not an example of information influence activities. Freedom of expression, influencing opinions and expressing your views are part of a democratic society. People have the right to disagree and polarised views are bound to emerge.
• Communications by public authorities: In Finland, official communications always involve promoting the interests of people and society, such as providing information and instructions. In other words, official communications are under no circumstances a form of information influence activities, even if their aim is to get individuals to act in a certain way. Remember that factual information or views may change over time. For example, it is common that during an incident or crisis situation, more information is obtained as time goes by. As a result, the instructions given by the authorities may change.
• Not all disinformation or incorrect information is considered information influence activities Disinformation spread by individuals differs from information influence activities in that they have different goals and methods. Information influence activities are always more extensive, systematic and strategic than individuals’ or groups’ participation in discussions. However, a person or party may spread disinformation due to an information influence campaign or its part. People can also spread false information unintentionally. This is called misinformation. It is false or misleading information that the person sharing it thinks is genuine and shares the information in good faith.

In assessing influence efforts, it is key to determine

• what the activities aim at
• how they affect people and society.

Detecting systematic information influencing often requires skills and knowledge of the situation. For this reason, identifying and preventing influencing is primarily a duty of the authorities.

The authorities anticipate and monitor information influencing attempts. The aim is information security. This means that the threats and risks in the information environment can be kept under control.

The means to counter information influencing include competent official communications.

Information security is maintained and promoted through cooperation between the authorities, business life, universities and research institutes, organisations and citizens. The authorities particularly examine the impacts of information influencing on vital functions of society.

Information security is promoted by strong democracy, good media literacy among the population, open and multivocal public debate, freedom of expression, access to information and independent media.

For people, hybrid influence activities usually manifest as ordinary disruptions, such as service interruptions, or they may not be visible at all.
In other words, there is no need to prepare for hybrid influence activities as such.

People have the task of taking care of their own preparedness in case of incidents. You should also know how you can prepare for information influencing attempts.

Use this guide to learn skills that help you deal with different incidents and read more about cybersecurity and protecting yourself against information influence activities.

Hybrid influencing involves a variety of methods, and it is also referred to as extensive influencing. The country involved in the influence activities exploits the weaknesses of the target country.

The methods used in hybrid influence activities include

• information influence activities
• cyberattacks on key services in society
• physical damage, such as the destruction of electricity production or data communications infrastructure
• means of exerting pressure, for example in the economy or politics
• physical pressure such as border violations or instrumentalised migration
• pressuring by military means, such as military drills or the strategic placement of armed forces

It is up to the authorities to detect and respond to hybrid influencing. It may be difficult to detect influencing attempts as it is often not easy to identify which party is behind it. The state engaged in the influence activities may also utilise other actors, such as criminal organisations.

False information and information influence activities may impair your coping and affect your functional capacity. Their aim is to

• increase fear, concern and distrust
• undermine social cohesion.

Knowing how to protect yourself from these adverse effects helps you cope better.

Avoid giving visibility to false information through your own actions. Pause for a moment and take note of the following before sharing information:

• Check where the information originated. Only believe in sources of information which you know to be generally reliable.
• Base your assessment of reliability on the facts of the content. For example, merely having a large number of likes or shares on a social media post does not indicate reliability.
• Do not share any information you are not certain about.
• Do not share content that you know to contain false information. It is better not to give misinformation visibility.
• Consider the purpose of the discussion before responding.

You can prevent the spread of false information by promoting the availability and visibility of reliable information.

Everyone is susceptible to disinformation and information influence activities under the right circumstances and when the subject hits a sensitive spot. It is important that you recognise the things that can be most easily exploited to influence you.

Influencing is often not just about the false nature of the content itself, but about how the information affects emotions.

Assess which subjects and topics of conversation touch a nerve for you.

• You are more susceptible to influencing attempts in matters that make you feel concerned or scared or that stir extreme emotions, for example.
• Fear can make ordinary things look different than what they actually are.

Assess how you regard upsetting or anger-inducing events.

• What kind of behaviour do these emotions guide you towards?
• Do these activities promote or reduce your and others’ coping and your understanding of the topic?

Consider whether the information or your activities support or impair your coping and mental welfare.

• Factors such as fatigue and stress impair your ability to think clearly. They also make it more difficult to control emotions.
• For example, being so absorbed in seeking information that you lose sleep reduces your functional capacity.

Think about ways to distance yourself from what has happened and the related flood of information.

• Being constantly exposed to news, social media discussions and other content may cause anxiety.
• If necessary, take a break from social media content and news coverage if the situation feels stressful.
• You can plan in advance which media you will follow and at which times in the event of a crisis.

We use shortcuts based on our previous observations, interpretations and knowledge to help us think. The purpose of these shortcuts is to help us speed up the processing of information and decision-making in everyday situations. The shortcuts may, however, lead us astray. As a result, they are known as cognitive biases or fallacies.

Identifying common biases allows you to identify situations in which your mind may lead you to make incorrect conclusions. Think about the situations in which biases may be affecting your thinking and how you could redirect your thoughts.

Confirmation bias: You pay more attention to evidence that supports your existing view while ignoring the opposing arguments.

Consensus bias: You assume that other people think and feel like you. When the assumption turns out to be wrong, it may seem that others are wrong.

Splitting or black-and-white thinking: Beginning to see something as merely two opposite extremes with no other options.

Anchoring effect: The information received first is considered the most reliable. It will later serve as a reference point for any other information you receive.

Halo effect: Attaching other positive impressions to things perceived positively. Similarly, attaching negative views on things you did not like in the first place.