Krystyna Sikora

Jan 15, 2025 | securingdemocracy.gmfus.org | Krystyna Sikora

Last week, devastating wildfires ignited across Los Angeles County in what is one of the most destructive natural disasters in US history. But as firefighters continue to battle the flames, false and misleading information about the disaster has spread just as quickly on social media.

Oct 31, 2024 | securingdemocracy.gmfus.org | Bret Schafer |Krystyna Sikora |Etienne Soula |Vassilis Ntousas

Americans vote in this year’s consequential presidential election in an environment marked by growing threats, including the weaponization of artificial intelligence (AI), influence campaigns run by foreign authoritarian adversaries, and false election narratives that threaten to undermine faith in the US election system.

Oct 25, 2024 | securingdemocracy.gmfus.org | Krystyna Sikora

The decentralized nature of election administration in the United States means that every state—and even election jurisdiction—has its own rules for voting and ballot counting. In 2020, variances in election procedures were misconstrued, and in some cases weaponized, to support baseless claims of fraud and question the legitimacy of the election.

Sep 27, 2024 | securingdemocracy.gmfus.org | Krystyna Sikora |Louis Savoia

Meta and other social media companies’ bans on Russian state media likely do not stop their hardcore followers from accessing their content, but hurts RT’s “ability to span platforms, to reach new audiences” that “are not actively seeking out RT”, Senior Fellow Bret Schafer told the New York Times.

Sep 6, 2024 | securingdemocracy.gmfus.org | Krystyna Sikora

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) seized 32 website domains connected to Russia’s “Doppelganger” network and charged two Russian state media employees for funneling almost $10 million to a Tennessee-based online content creation company. This and other recent foreign operations targeting the US presidential election underscore a hard truth: American efforts to combat foreign malign influence have not deterred the country’s adversaries.