The United States is retreating from the front lines of an information war as adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran wage sophisticated information manipulation and interference (FIMI) campaigns.
Key strategies and programs essential for countering these threats have been dismantled, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Foreign Influence Task Force.
This trend is generating a dangerous vacuum within the national defense framework, threatening public trust and undermining military cohesion across the nation.
In an era where conflicts increasingly occur in gray areas just shy of open warfare, it is imperative for the United States to recognize foreign information manipulation as a form of hybrid warfare, adapting its defense strategies accordingly to build societal resilience.
The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence underscores the urgency of this issue, highlighting the evolving tactics employed by adversarial nations to sow division within American society.
For example, during the 2022 midterm elections, TikTok accounts linked to a Chinese propaganda apparatus targeted candidates from both political parties.
This manipulation aims to weaken the United States from within, while simultaneously challenging the integrity of American institutions.
Russia has taken this a step further by utilizing deepfake technology powered by artificial intelligence, allowing them to obscure their involvement in misinformation efforts while promoting divisive narratives on polarizing issues like abortion.
Iran is similarly engaged in these tactics, bolstering cyberattacks with propaganda efforts that include creating fake news websites targeting veterans, thereby maligning both major political parties as failures in supporting military interests.
Moreover, Iranian cyber actors have reportedly penetrated email accounts associated with President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, aiming to weaponize internal communications and disseminate distorted narratives that erode trust in the electoral process.
Such tactics have the potential to undermine the legitimacy of electoral outcomes even before votes are cast, spreading conspiracy theories and casting doubt over the credibility of the election system.
Despite the looming threats from these foreign actors, Washington has pulled back on its defenses against foreign influence, misconstruing existing measures as infringements on free speech rather than as necessary tools for protection.
Earlier this year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency paused all election-related disinformation monitoring efforts.
In April, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dissolved the Global Engagement Center (GEC), a State Department office that coordinated efforts to combat FIMI.
He claimed that GEC had nearly destroyed the long-standing tradition of free speech in America by policing domestic discourse.
While concerns about overreach are valid—given that GEC had at times supported initiatives targeting right-leaning media outlets—the idea of ‘unilaterally disarming’ the information space reflects a misguided binary choice between defending free speech and safeguarding against foreign interference.
True free expression cannot exist if foreign adversaries are permitted to distort the information space without any checks.
Defending the U.S. against FIMI should not equate to silencing debate; rather, it is essential for ensuring that American citizens can engage in discourse devoid of external manipulation.
Solutions must move away from the problematic models that have led to current challenges and instead seek inspiration from nations that have established innovative defenses.
The Trump administration’s executive order on national resilience calls upon state and local governments to take the lead in preparedness efforts.
State-level initiatives could play a pivotal role in fostering a robust information environment, but coordinated federal support is critical to ensure these efforts do not become disjointed due to political fluctuations or resource limitations.
Ohio’s Cyber Reserve exemplifies a scalable model that incorporates both preventative and responsive functions.
This reserve trains local students, businesses, and governments on cyber best practices while maintaining a capacity for responding to cyberattacks.
This structure could be expanded to include necessary components of information integrity, focusing on detecting deepfakes, identifying coordinated influence campaigns, and advocating for responsible digital engagement.
Developing this model would promote societal resilience against foreign manipulation by reaching out to local communities.
When foreign disinformation campaigns are detected, these units could collaborate with local media, civil organizations, and trusted community leaders, delivering timely and accurate information without suppressing free speech.
Such proactive measures would lay the groundwork for bottom-up information resilience and should be formalized through statewide information security readiness plans integrated with existing emergency response frameworks.
Additionally, the Ohio National Guard’s 179th Cyberspace Wing offers a valuable blueprint for enhancing military responses to these foreign information threats.
As the Cyberspace Wing aims for full operational capability by 2027, the Department of Defense should prioritize the creation of a dedicated FIMI response unit that specializes in nonpartisan monitoring and rapid responses to emerging information threats, particularly during elections and key national security events.
This unit’s operations would respect citizens’ rights while implementing safeguards to prevent any unauthorized encroachment on protected speech.
Lastly, to ensure dominance in 21st-century warfare, the U.S. should formally incorporate ‘information integrity’ within its National Cyber Strategy.
By explicitly categorizing foreign information manipulation as a cyber-enabled threat, Washington can better mobilize public-private partnerships, enhance attribution capabilities, and empower local actors to respond effectively.
Incorporating information integrity into the cyber strategy will guarantee that acts of foreign misinformation, such as deepfake identities and AI-generated propaganda, are recognized as strategic incursions warranting a comprehensive national response.
As adversarial actors refine their tactics to exploit digital vulnerabilities, the United States must adopt a novel defense posture that aligns with the pace and complexity of foreign influence operations.
Promoting information resilience as an essential element of national security is increasingly crucial to achieving success in the realm of hybrid warfare.
image source from：atlanticcouncil
