US information attacks undermine global security, stability

美军信息战攻势愈演愈烈, 将对全球安全稳定产生负面影响

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Huang Panyue
Time
2022-10-10 17:21:30


美军网络战人员正在处理情报信息。
US cyber warfare officers are processing intelligence.

傅波 By Fu Bo

近日,有美国媒体爆料,部分社交媒体公司发现并关停了被怀疑是由美国军方运营的大量虚假账号。据报道,这些虚假账号被美军用来实施秘密信息战,旨在更好操纵海外受众。实际上,美军秘密开展信息战并非新鲜事,相关作战力量已初具规模,未来恐将对全球安全稳定产生负面影响。

American media recently revealed that some social media companies have discovered and shut down huge amounts of fake accounts that are suspected to be operated by the US military to carry out secret information warfare in order to better manipulate overseas audiences. As a matter of fact, the American military’s secret information warfare is no news anymore and relevant combat forces have already formed a primary scale and are likely to exert negative impacts on global security and stability.

社交媒体武器化

Weaponization of social media

美国媒体近日曝光的军方开展信息战的有关情况,只是“冰山一角”。从冷战时期发起“知更鸟计划”收买媒体操纵舆论,到新世纪借“洗衣粉”“白头盔”对伊拉克、叙利亚发动战争,美国通过编织散布虚假信息,实现自身图谋。在美军内部,信息战、心理战早已成为重要作战样式。美国海军陆战队司令戴维•伯杰指出,海军陆战队希望在信息竞赛中占据上风,因为掌控、理解和利用信息往往会带来优势。

What the US media recently revealed about the military’s information warfare is just the tip of the iceberg. From Operation Mockingbird launched during the Cold War to buy the media to manipulate public opinions to the “washing powder” and “white helmet” activities in the new century that gave the excuse to start wars on Iraq and Syria, the US has become pretty adept at fabricating and spreading disinformation to get what it wants. Within the US military, information warfare and psychological warfare have become important forms of combat. The US Commandant of the Marine Corps David Berger said the Marines Corps hope to take the upper hand in the information race because controlling, understanding and using the information usually puts them at an advantage.

从顶层设计看,自2015年起,美国国防部牵头指导陆、海、空军发布各自的修订版社交媒体管理使用手册,美海军陆战队、国民警卫队也分别发布使用指南。拜登政府上台后,重新对美军社交网络管理安全状况展开评估,并发布指令明确社交媒体保密、互联网社交平台登录、在线电子信息等方面的管理要求。

Regarding top-level design, the US DoD has guided the army, navy and air force since 2015 to release their revised manuals on social media management and use, and the Marines Corps and National Guard have also released such manuals. After Biden came into office, he re-evaluated the security status of the military’s social network management and gave orders that specify the rules and requirements regarding social media’s confidentiality issue, logging in on social media platforms, and online information.

从实践运用看,美军注重区分不同场景,针对性开展信息战,效果也有所不同。在网络欠发达地区运用效果明显。例如,由于识字率和互联网普及率低,以及反政府武装没收智能手机,索马里农村地区信息环境受到高度约束。美国心理战团队和索马里国民军在这些地区通过宣传册、海报、贴纸和传单进行沟通,再配合大量解释性图像,达到了一定传播效果。

In practice, the US military has conducted targeted information warfare for different scenarios and with different effects. This is particularly effective in regions with a less developed network. For instance, due to the low literacy rate, lack of Internet, and the confiscation of smart phones by anti-government armed forces, the information environment in rural Somalia is extremely controlled. The US psychological warfare team and Somalian National Army disseminated brochures, posters, stickers and leaflets there along with explanatory pictures, which have taken some effect.

未来运用常态化

Normalized use of information warfare in the future

德国作家吕德斯曾在其所著《伪圣美国》中揭露,美国政府擅于通过选择和歪曲事实、刻意窄化新闻来源、极化人们的判断,达到混淆是非、影响公众判断的目的。下一步,美军或将持续加大心理战运用力度,潜在影响不容低估。

German writer Michael Lüders pointed out in his book Die scheinheiligeSupermacht (The Hypocritical Superpower) that the US government is very adept at selecting and distorting facts, limiting the source of information and polarizing public opinions in order to blur the facts and influence people’s judgment. Going forward, the US military may continue to step up the execution of psychological warfare, whose potential consequences shall not be underestimated.

一方面,技术运用或将迭代更新。未来,美军将持续运用人工智能、大数据、云计算等,进一步提升信息战的实效性。例如,美国陆军未来司令部正着手建立软件工厂,为软件开发人员和平台工程师提供培训。美陆军情报与安全司令部正在建立网络军事情报小组,旨在开发复杂信息环境等。

On the one hand, the technologies and skills may be updated. The US military will continue to use AI, big data, cloud computing, and other tools to make information warfare more effective. For example, the US Army Futures Command is busy setting up a software plant to train its software developers and platform engineers. The United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) is also putting together a cyber military intelligence group to develop complex information environments.

另一方面,负面影响或将持续凸显。美国前国务卿希拉里•克林顿曾毫不讳言地表示:“黑客可以通过网络支持普通民众在俄罗斯街头抗议,我们在‘阿拉伯之春’时就是这么做的。当时我是美国国务卿,我想我们还可以攻击俄罗斯政府机构的网络。”应该说,美国针对其他国家炮制抹黑言论、捏造虚假新闻、传播谎言谣言,最终将自食恶果。正如《纽约时报》所评论的那样,“美国已经失去信誉”。

On the other hand, the negative impacts may keep emerging. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once said without mincing words that hackers can support the Internet civilians protesting on the street of Russia. That’s what we did during the Arab Spring. I was the Secretary of State then, and I thought we could attack the network of Russian government bodies. America’s smearing of other countries, concoction of fake news, and spread of lies and rumors will all come back to hurt itself. As New York Times commented, the US has lost its credibility.

 

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