ASD contributes long and short form research products and analysis to inform and engage our audience on a range of issues related to malign foreign interference. In addition, we develop policy recommendations and strategies to close vulnerabilities and safeguard institutions from authoritarian threats.
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January 2019
Deripaska, EN+, and Rusal: A Split Decision with Implications for U.S. Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently agreed to remove sanctions against Oleg Deripaska’s EN+ Group. As a corollary, it will also remove from the sanctions list Rusal, which is one of the world’s largest alu [...]
December 2018
Illicit Influence – Part One – A Case Study of the First Czech Russian Bank
Introduction In the spring of 2016, as the Russian-domiciled First Czech Russian Bank (FCRB) approached insolvency, staff worked feverishly to erase ledgers, destroy documents, and conceal evidence of the bank’s activity over the previous 9 years. [...]
A Long Way To Go: Analyzing Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s Efforts to Combat Foreign Interference
Executive Summary Two years after the Russian government manipulated social media to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, online information platforms continue to serve as mediums for such operations, including the 2018 midterm electi [...]
An Effective American Regime to Counter Illicit Finance
Main Recommendations Payments: Establish an international payments database and improve the quality of payment instructions Investments: Require private investment funds to maintain AML programs and report their investors and investment positions [...]
No Time for Complacency: How to Combat Foreign Interference After the Midterms
From cabinet officials in the Trump administration to the social media platform companies, there has been widespread acknowledgement in the United States that the Russian government and other authoritarian states targeted the midterm elections and w [...]
November 2018
Disinformation at the Dinner Table
In between bites of stuffing and potatoes this Thanksgiving, it is likely that “fake news” or “election meddling” may be mentioned at the table. Here is all you need to know so that you can hold your own in a discussion on influence operations with [...]
Iran’s Newest Info Op Shows an Evolution of Tactics
On October 26, Facebook announced that it removed “82 Pages, Groups, and accounts for coordinated inauthentic behavior” originating from Iran. The information operation targeted citizens of the United States and United Kingdom, often by creating fic [...]
A View from the Digital Trenches – Lessons from Year One of Hamilton 68
Summary The Russian government’s active measures campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election was a watershed moment in the study of modern information operations. Revelations that the Kremlin had purchased divisive political ads on social [...]
Beware the Aftermath – The Threat of Foreign Interference Won’t End on Election Day
Government officials and tech titans could be excused for breathing a huge, collective sigh of relief if next week’s midterms come to pass without evidence of widespread foreign manipulation. But if recent U.S. elections are any indication, the thre [...]
October 2018
A Better European Union Architecture to Fight Money Laundering
ASD's Joshua Kirschenbaum and Peterson Institute's Nicolas Veron outline recommendations for a new European unitary architecture to counter the shortcomings of Europe's anti-money laundering regime. A series of banking scandals in mu [...]
Target USA: Key Takeaways from the Kremlin’s “Project Lakhta”
On October 19, the Department of Justice announced charges against Elena Khusyaynova, a St. Petersburg-based accountant, for working as part of a conspiracy to wage “information warfare against the United States of America.” According to the FBI, Kh [...]
Key Takeaways from the Kremlin’s Recent Interference Offensive
On October 4, officials in the Netherlands and U.K. revealed a joint counterintelligence operation that led to the arrest and expulsion of four Russian military intelligence (GRU) officers in April for attempting to hack the Organization for the Pro [...]