· In the backdrop of a hybrid warfare scenario, negotiating the challenges arising from misinformation, narrative building, social engineering and authoritarian suppression of democratic protests & freedom of speech is a complex and tall-order task. Consequent to weaponisation of information, a thorough assessment of the perceived threats of social media warfare is necessary to discern the likely patterns and strategies of adversarial forces such as fake news, propaganda, echo chambers, and confirmation biases. The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence and deep fakes has added a dangerous dimension to the security scenario. Understanding how to safeguard the nation's interests and values becomes essential in the context of countering information threats and developing effective counter-strategies and policies to mitigate the pervasive impact of social media in hybrid warfare scenarios. 

Presentation by Col Dheeraj Kumar, Senior Research Fellow, CS3

·    The Indian Government must develop a homogenous, coordinated response across departments and stakeholders, ensuring clarity and resilience. The established criteria for information integrity should serve as the foundational framework for early warning monitoring and initial risk assessments. Engaging in warfare is a political endeavour, employing coercion or force to achieve political objectives such as regime change or revolution. One revolutionary aspect is subversion, often geographically sporadic. When conducted opportunistically, it can violate the de-facto sovereignty of the target, as exemplified by the Arab Spring .