The West Strikes Back: A Transatlantic Playbook to Counter Russian Active Measures
Over the past year, the American people have taken a crash course in understanding the multidimensional impact of active Russian measures in the United States, particularly through information and computational technology. Russian efforts to increase distrust in democratic institutions and leaders, heighten societal fear, encourage disunity and discord have placed the 21st century battlefield squarely on the manipulation of public opinion and the reduction of trust in democracy. From the U.S. and French presidential elections to manipulating public opinion in NATO countries, we now have a better understanding of the “Kremlin Playbook”. However, what we need is a long-term transatlantic playbook to counter and ultimately defeat active Russian measures. Bringing together some of the foremost thought leaders on the subject, this panel will explore the key elements of an effective Western counter strategy by examining efforts to raise public awareness about Russian disinformation and active measures, stabilizing and increasing the transparency of democratic institutions, enhancing investigative journalism to uncover illicit Russian financing, and understanding how social media tools amplify Russian disinformation in order to develop a whole-of-society response to a sustained Russian attack on American democracy and its security.
Featuring:
Gen Michael Hayden (USAF, Ret.)
Principal, The Chertoff Group; former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Mr. Drew Sullivan
Editor and Founder, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Mr. Clint Watts
Robert A. Fox Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute; Senior Fellow, Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, The George Washington University
Other Speakers to be Announced
Moderated by:
Ms. Heather Conley
Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; and Director, Europe Program, CSIS