Professional Certificate in Dealing with Cyber Influence Activities during Elections by External Actors

Overview

ICPS is delighted to announce the launch of its new programme, Professional Certificate in Dealing with Cyber Influence Activities during Elections by External Actors.

Over the past five years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of cyber influence activities during recent elections by various external actors. Whether driven by political or financial motivation, the objectives are similar, that being to negatively influence the voting public without them realizing it is being done. The advent of social media, coupled with the increased influence of “fake news” masking as credible information, has left democratic governments scrambling for actionable solutions. It has become imperative that national institutions implement strategies to both identify and counter the use of cyber influence tools against the voting masses in order to maintain the integrity of the democratic process.

The Benefit to Participants

This 5-day training programme will explore the current state of cyber influence activities and how to identify hybrid threats during elections. Specifically the program will focus on building robust strategies to counter negative cyber influence efforts developed from several recent case studies. More specifically, delegates will gain an understanding of the following:

Examples of legal and political frameworks for identifying and defining cyber influence risks to elections and the democratic processes:

• Methods employed by external actors to engage in cyber influence (i.e through social media);
• Safeguarding against negative cyber influence activities;
• Developing robust policies to counter cyber interference in elections;
• Training in Election Risk Management Tools and much more.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the week, delegates will be equipped with:

• An understanding of the methodology behind cyber influence activities during elections.
• Strategic tools to develop robust frameworks and policies.
• The capacity to understand and identify hybrid threats.
• The skills necessary to implement procedures for countering negative cyber influence efforts.
• Leading experts from across the cyber influence space will drive this important and timely topic. In addition to receiving insightful knowledge from seasoned practitioners, participants will be able to reflect on recent election case studies, visit European Institutions, and gain valuable experience towards implementing safeguards in their respective jurisdictions. This is a highly interactive program not to be missed.

Agenda

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5