GCHQ has launched a cyber operation to disrupt disinformation around vaccines being spread by Russia and other hostile states, it has been reported.
False information about vaccines has increased during the coronavirus pandemic, with Russia identified as one of the main spreaders of such content.
According to Lucy Fisher in the Times, the UK spy agency is now using tools developed to stop material created by Islamic State from spreading against anti-vaccine propaganda.
“GCHQ has begun an offensive cyber-operation to disrupt anti-vaccine propaganda being spread by hostile states, The Times understands. The spy agency is using a toolkit developed to tackle disinformation and recruitment material peddled by Islamic State, according to sources.
It is the latest move by cyberagents to counter activity linked to Moscow whose aim is to exploit the pandemic in order to undermine the West and boost Russian interests. The government regards tackling false information about inoculation as a rising priority as the prospect of a reliable vaccine against the coronavirus draws closer.”
The report also cites a government source as saying:
“GCHQ has been told to take out antivaxers online and on social media. There are ways they have used to monitor and disrupt terrorist propaganda.”
Russia has been linked to a number of malicious activities online associated with coronavirus. Earlier in the year, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace committed to supporting NATO’s efforts to combat COVID-19 in a video conference with Allied defence ministers.
NATO defence ministers met over video conference where they discussed how the Alliance can continue to protect its almost one-billion citizens during the COVID-19 crisis. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace reaffirmed the UK’s support for NATO’s role in the international response to the crisis and committed to examining all requests for assistance from Allies.
“One current priority is combating the spread of harmful, false and misleading narratives through disinformation. To bolster this effort, the British Army will be deploying two experts in countering disinformation. They will advise and support NATO in ensuring its citizens have the right information to protect themselves and its democracies are protected from malicious disinformation operations used by adversaries. NATO can play a key role in the international fight against COVID-19, and Allied solidarity is more important than ever to ensure both the security and the health of our almost one-billion citizens.”
Earlier this month, the NCSC also revealed it had protected the UK from more than 700 cyber attacks over the last 12 months, more than a quarter of which were linked to coronavirus.
A tricky line to walk. If people start dying from a rushed new vaccine, will news about it be suppressed as anti-vax?
But its not rushed.
No, but it looks rushed to the non-expert which if we’re being honest is most of us.
The fact is the speed is a result of huge resources being pushed at this one problem, probably at the detriment of other important efforts. The thing is it is a lot to try and explain compared to a simple, “it was rushed”, message. So the advantage is with the anti-vax brigade…
Anyway, there are still important questions to answer key being how long does any vaccine immunity last? What, if any, are the long term effects of the vaccine? These questions can only be answered over time which is true for any new treatement, so there is always an element of risk, something that far too few people do not appear to understand – or won’t accept.
Cheers CR
Apparently Pfitza did not take any govt money and just got on with developing it which saved time. Their money is their own and if they failed then its their loss.
Hopefully other options will appear as well.
I take the flu jab every year, so its not unusual to get booster jabs because viruses mutate.
No doubt we would be in trouble with Ebola, but with that it affects you then kills you even quicker… so the spread can be controlled. Thats why the Chinese were so clever to introduce this on an unsuspecting world…
Unmmm
As a PhD scientist I would say it is rushed by normal standards.
You don’t normally manufacture anything until everything is signed off.
And there is a request for accelerated licensing as well.
Those are just simple checkable facts.
Do I think it is justified to rush things given the balance of harms: yes I do.
Will I be rushing to get vaccinated? Probably not: I’m not high risk.
Why am I not in a rush to get vaccinated? I’ve already had COVID and unpleasant as it was I’ve recovered.
FYI my kids have had all the standard jabs as I think the risk are tiny and outweighed by the rewards.
Its Rushed !https://wellcome.org/sites/default/files/styles/standalone_image_full_width/public/infographic-vaccine-development-1200×1850.png?itok=y0Cq0Vr2
Trouble is we are playing catch up when it comes to countering the lies. There is also the problem that simple lies are easier to peddle than complex rebuttals.
The internet was supposed to bring information and knowledge to the masses, instead it has increasingly brought lies, crooks and confussion, all helped along by a lazy press with too many ‘journalists’ with no experience or indepth knowledge of the subject matter they are spouting on about. Hence, silly stories in the press about fires on SSBN’s when they are being moved cold and have a diesel generator running (all be it a very smokey one!).
The thing is I think this misinformation is having a much more serious impact on Western Democracies than many realise. From rogue phone calls, to vote rigging and cyber attacks on key infrastructure our confidence in our western nation states is being slowly undermined. I’m not suggesting that it is all being guided by some secret cabal, rather there are those who are clearly exploiting and amplifying the situation to their own advantage…
Having units like those talked about in the article is clearly good news and they appear to be doing a pretty good job (from what little we are understandably told) but I still think there is much more that needs to be done. The situation is not helped when our own leaders get sloppy with the truth as well. Westminster and others need to play their part in countering the misinformation threat, but I ain’t hold me breath
Cheers CR
What about all the disinformation being spewed out by creepy, old dementia Joe Biden?
What about the lies and buffoon comments put out by ‘Crusty the Clown’, the present imbecile-in-chief?