The Top Cyber Risks: Fake News, Disinformation and Misinformation

Businesses part with hundreds of thousands, probably even millions of dollars protecting their data against cyber security risks in the digital age. And while cyber security risks present in various ways, in this era of free flow of information, a different type of cyber risk is drawing significant attention.

Anyone can publish stories, views, or opinions about a business that maliciously targets its brand. It means businesses have to adopt a new approach to tackling cyber security risks.

What is a cyber security risk?

Typically, a cyber security risk refers to any activity that is deliberate or otherwise and authorized or unauthorized with the potential of compromising a business’ information systems and exposing it to financial and reputational harm.

While businesses have previously emphasized safeguarding against data security breaches, that line of protection is expanding to protect against information warfare which aims to sway public opinion against its brand.

New Cyber Security Risks Businesses Face: An Overview

There is a rise in campaigns by individuals or agencies that deliberately aim at undermining a business or its employees to gain an unfair advantage.

For instance, during the onset of the pandemic, world governments paid endless witness to stories (primarily unfounded) being published online about the number of COVID cases and the fatalities involved.
In retrospect, it became clear that entities could weaponize information on the internet to sway public opinion causing social unrest.

Unsurprisingly, businesses also face emerging yet rapidly evolving cyber security risks that are hellbent on manipulating what their employees and audience think about their brand. These include fake news, misinformation, and disinformation.

Fake news

Fake news is false information that is wittingly shared with the intent of misleading readers. And it takes different forms such as sloppy journalism, clickbait, propaganda, and satire.

Misinformation

Unlike fake news, here, the intent to mislead is absent. For instance, an employee or an outsider may misquote facts about a business without knowing.

They don’t mean to. It’s just that they might have misunderstood or forgotten something about the facts. This is why rumors and gossip about a company pass as misinformation as well.

Disinformation

When an employee deliberately misquotes facts about the business, they are potentially disinforming their target audience. It carries with it an element of tact.

In the context of cyber security, disinformation is most dangerous. There is an impetus pushing them to do so, which means they have an end in mind.

How to stop the above cyber security risks

Ultimately, cybersecurity risks targeting public opinion have a motivation behind them that mainly revolves around jeopardizing customers’ trust in a business.

If businesses can detect the intention behind them, they can tackle them effectively.

An effective strategy mostly boils down to:

1. educating their employees and online audiences about how fake news, misinformation, and disinformation occur
2. applying Artificial Intelligence in monitoring online social conversation about a brand is also a viable strategy for businesses

Most importantly, a business’s cyber security strategy has to put measures to mitigate an attack on its informational space.
For more information about how Rojan can help with all your cyber security needs please visit us at us.rojan.net.

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