Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ADAC.io (ATTRIBUTION – DATA- ANALYSIS – COUNTERMEASURES – INTEROPERABILITY: ADAC.IO)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-02-01 do 2025-02-28
Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) refers to the deliberate efforts by state or non-state actors to exploit vulnerabilities within Europe’s information environment for strategic gain, for example destabilizing democratic processes or eroding public trust. Over the past decade, multiple EU institutions and Member States have invested in analysing and countering such threats, especially in the context of elections, public health crises, and international conflicts. Despite progress, inconsistencies remain in how different European entities collect, analyse, and share intelligence on FIMI. This fragmentation can leave gaps that adversaries exploit to amplify divisive narratives or undermine institutions. Consequently, enhancing international cooperation, improving data-sharing protocols, and developing robust analytical frameworks have become focal points in European security efforts to safeguard democratic integrity and societal resilience.
ADAC.io was initiated in response to this continuing challenge and addresses them by conducting research across several interconnected areas such as attribution methods, analysis, data standards, countermeasures and interoperability. To this end, it brings together organizations and individuals who have previously contributed to core counter-FIMI frameworks, including DISARM and OpenCTI. The initiative's research expertise also encompasses the analysis, identification, and mitigation of hostile foreign interference, particularly focusing on information influence operations, hybrid threats, and disinformation. It involves providing research-based insights to governmental, international, and institutional stakeholders, including support for policy development, capability building, resilience frameworks, and operational strategies.
The objective of the project is to strengthen Europe’s ability to detect and respond to foreign information manipulation by improving how threats are analysed, attributed, and addressed. This includes developing common approaches for identifying hostile influence activities, creating practical guidelines for investigations, and supporting more coordinated use of countermeasures. It also seeks to improve collaboration between EU institutions, Member States, the research community, civil society, and media through shared tools, case studies, and training.
The anticipated pathway to impact involves a more coherent and collaborative “end-to-end” process for countering FIMI, starting from data collection and attribution through to policy decisions on countermeasures. By aligning tools that were previously used in isolation, the project alignment is designed to streamline processes, reduce duplication of efforts, and promote consistent practices, thereby contributing to a more informed and coordinated response to information threats.
ADAC.io was initiated in response to this continuing challenge and addresses them by conducting research across several interconnected areas such as attribution methods, analysis, data standards, countermeasures and interoperability. To this end, it brings together organizations and individuals who have previously contributed to core counter-FIMI frameworks, including DISARM and OpenCTI. The initiative's research expertise also encompasses the analysis, identification, and mitigation of hostile foreign interference, particularly focusing on information influence operations, hybrid threats, and disinformation. It involves providing research-based insights to governmental, international, and institutional stakeholders, including support for policy development, capability building, resilience frameworks, and operational strategies.
The objective of the project is to strengthen Europe’s ability to detect and respond to foreign information manipulation by improving how threats are analysed, attributed, and addressed. This includes developing common approaches for identifying hostile influence activities, creating practical guidelines for investigations, and supporting more coordinated use of countermeasures. It also seeks to improve collaboration between EU institutions, Member States, the research community, civil society, and media through shared tools, case studies, and training.
The anticipated pathway to impact involves a more coherent and collaborative “end-to-end” process for countering FIMI, starting from data collection and attribution through to policy decisions on countermeasures. By aligning tools that were previously used in isolation, the project alignment is designed to streamline processes, reduce duplication of efforts, and promote consistent practices, thereby contributing to a more informed and coordinated response to information threats.
During the initial year of the project key research activities have focused on refining attribution approaches by building on the NATO–Hybrid COE attribution framework. A more structured approach to evaluating different types of evidence has been developed, and a field guide for open-source research and investigations has been completed. The project has also continued to enhance the DISARM framework and associated Tactics Techniques and Procedure catalogues, incorporating feedback to identify and address classification gaps and redundancies.
To validate and apply these enhancements, the consortium is conducting case-based research on real-world scenarios such as elections and gendered disinformation. These case studies will be used to test the relevance and practicality of the frameworks and data protocols, generating insights that feed back into the ongoing research.
Additionally, the project is developing a method for structuring FIMI’s linguistic and visual communication strategies. This includes the creation of a coded dataset capturing communication structures used in FIMI operations. Preparations are also underway for surveys and studies to assess the public impact of attribution efforts.
To validate and apply these enhancements, the consortium is conducting case-based research on real-world scenarios such as elections and gendered disinformation. These case studies will be used to test the relevance and practicality of the frameworks and data protocols, generating insights that feed back into the ongoing research.
Additionally, the project is developing a method for structuring FIMI’s linguistic and visual communication strategies. This includes the creation of a coded dataset capturing communication structures used in FIMI operations. Preparations are also underway for surveys and studies to assess the public impact of attribution efforts.
ADAC.io merges technical intelligence approaches, such as DISARM, OpenCTI, and STIX, with policy-oriented analytical processes. These components are often used in parallel by different entities, often resulting in fragmented analyses. It also presents a challenge for strategic-level actors, such as the EEAS and national governments, to consolidate analyses from various stakeholders into a coherent situational picture that can serve as a reliable foundation for decision-making. Adac.io works to advance beyond prior area specific efforts that have focused on either data standardization or policy guidance in isolation.
Additionally, the project incorporates user feedback from practitioners; an approach which ensures that the final outputs do not remain at a theoretical level but become operationally viable. In doing so, ADAC.io aims to contribute to closing the gap between technical development and the broader societal need for consistent, transparent, and effective methods of detecting, analysing and countering FIMI.
Additionally, the project incorporates user feedback from practitioners; an approach which ensures that the final outputs do not remain at a theoretical level but become operationally viable. In doing so, ADAC.io aims to contribute to closing the gap between technical development and the broader societal need for consistent, transparent, and effective methods of detecting, analysing and countering FIMI.