Countering Information Operations Demands A Common Democratic Strategy – Alliance For Securing Democracy

Democratic governments’ attempts to establish cross-cutting structures take a variety of approaches. Some – like Canada’s SITE – focus heavily on analysis, while Australia’s Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator concentrates on policy development and implementation, as well as resiliency-building. Sweden’s MSB emphasizes education and awareness, as well as engagement with local officials, to ensure a whole-of-society response to information operations. While the organization and authority of these bodies depends heavily on domestic context, all of these structures maintain a similar and essential purpose – to prevent interference threats from falling into bureaucratic seams, and to help develop a unified understanding of potential threats. By establishing a central body for coordinating counter-interference efforts, democratic governments help policymakers see the full threat picture for interference and ensure that policy responses draw on all tools at decision makers’ disposal.