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    Welcome to The Misinformation Village

    August 11-13, 2023 Las Vegas, USA (Caesars Forum - Room 224)

  • The Misinformation Village Call for Proposals Is Open!

    August 10-13, 2023 Las Vegas, USA (Caesars Forum - Room 224)

  • OUR 2023 Events

    RightsCon 2023

    June 5, 2023

    San José, Costa Rica

    DEFCON 31

    August 11-13, 2023

    Caesar's Forum

    Room 224

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  • Coding for Chaos; Red-teaming Democracy

    In the digital era, cyber offense tactics pose significant threats to societal stability and functionality. These tactics can range from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and disinformation campaigns to targeted strikes on critical infrastructure. The interconnectedness of our world means that cyber-attacks can have far-reaching consequences, disrupting essential services like healthcare, transportation, and finance.

     

    WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN 2023-2024?

    We seek proposals exploring security risk assessments, thread models, responses, and analysis of the broader information landscape. Ecosystem actors mapping and evaluations of asset allocation and response effectiveness, particularly in the context of election integrity projects, are also critical in our bid to understand and counter the adverse effects of disinformation and what it is to effectively "hack" democracy.

     

    Given the complex nature now of both new content formats and the 'viral' reach of information and algorithmic information dissemination channels, we are particularly interested in proposals that investigate tools for content authenticity, information verifiability, and the role of decentralized protocols and cryptography in building trust in digital media and new decentralized digital native communities (the fediverse). We are also looking for contributions shedding light on the legal frameworks related to data privacy, security, and freedom of speech. 

     

    WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT?

    Join us for three days of talks, panels and tabletop exercises for a deep dive into the world of digital information operations. Expect an exciting lineup of discussions, exercises, and panels, shedding light on a diverse range of topics such as the contrasting disinformation strategies of global powers, the role of Twitter in U.S. political discourse, and the real threats posed by artificial intelligence and machine learning. We will dissect a landmark case study of a significant social phishing cyberattack during Brazil's election. We will demystify technical jargon using threat analysis frameworks in a hands-on exercise, delve into the intricacies of modern Chinese information operations, and discuss the implications of a significant breach of private health data. Misinformation Village @ DEFCON is both a conference and an opportunity to engage with compelling conversations, explore innovative techniques, and interact with a diverse audience, all geared towards combating digital threats and misinformation in our ever-evolving digital landscape.

     

    JOIN OUR TTX ACTIVITIES -- SEATS ARE LIMITED

    We're introducing a new format to the Village this year, tabletop exercise or TTX!

     

    Engage with riveting discussions, activities on the science of persuation, messaging on the underbelly of political disinformation, innovative social media strategies amidst geopolitical turbulence, the critical crossroads of data privacy and disinformation, and the science of curating compelling narratives within the tech ecosystem. Our interactive sessions promise thrilling direct participation in the nitty-gritty of creating digital threats and incidents, disinformation campaigns, advocacy and storytelling. Our workshop setting is limited in space. If you would like to join, reach out to us and do let us know!

  • DEFCON 31 Program

    We will continue to update our program with new sessions, more speakers and other details!

  • Video Library

    Our multi-disciplinary conference covers a wide range of topics such as hybrid strategies of autocratic states, gendered health misinformation, cogni

  • Program Overview

    The deadline for submitting proposals is July 3rd, 2022, 23:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. Notification for speakers will start on July 11th via email.

     

    Some accepted proposals will qualify for a DefCon 30 human badge.

     

    We are looking for proposals on the following topics:

     

    - History of how misinformation has evolved through the years

     

    - Identifying and measuring the spread of mis- and disinformation

     

    - Current research on social media companies and how they are handling misinformation

     

    - What normal people on social media are doing to combat misinformation and the repercussions of that activism on their personal lives

     

    - How misinformation is being used in warfare

     

    -How to deprogram or approach family members who are too far down the rabbit hole

     

    - The ecosystem of misinformation and offending actors

     

    - Algorithmic accountability and the science of knowledge integrity

     

    - New multi-modal frameworks for platform and content safety

     

    - Misinformation and upholding free expression and online democratic debate

     

    - Elections verification and strengthening elections information ecosystems and processes

     

    - Unbiased news and new media business models

     

  • AGENDA FOR MISINFORMATION VILLAGE 2022

    Times are US Pacific Time

    Friday, August 12, 2022

    10:30 - 11:30: The Hybrid Strategies of Autocratic States: Narrative Characteristics of Disinformation Campaigns in Relation To Issues of a Scientific-Health Nature - Workshop with Carlos Galán [Slides]

     

    11:30 - 13:30: Academic Integration (Lightning Talks)

    • Examining the Urgency of Gendered Health Misinformation Online Through Three Case Studies - Jenna Sherman (Meedan) [Watch Video] [Slides].

    • Cognitive Security: Human Vulnerabilities, ExSploits, & TTPs - Matthew Canham (Beyond Layer Seven) [Slides]

    • Detecting the "Fake News" Before It Was Even Written, Media Literacy, and Flattening the Curve of the COVID-19 Infodemic - Preslav Nakov (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence)

    • Uncovering Multi-platform Misinformation Campaigns with Information Tracer - Zhouhan Chen (New York University) [Slides]

    • SimPPL: Simulating Social Networks and Disinformation - Swapneel Mehta (New York University) [Slides]

    • Dazed and Seriously Confused: Analysis of Data Voids & the Disinformation Landscape of Central Asia - Rhyner Washburn (University of Maryland) [Watch Video] [Slides]

    13:30 - 14:00: Break

     
    14:30 - 16:00: Fireside Chat with Jennifer Matthieu (Graphika) and Adam Hickey (US Department of Justice)
     
    16:00 - 17:00: Lightning Talks
    • Tracking Scams and Disinformation by Hacking Link Shorteners - Justin Rheinhart and Sam Curry (Pillsade Consulting)

    • History of Russian Cyber & Information Warfare (2007 - Present) - Ryan Westman (E-Sentire) [Slides]

    • History of the Weaponization of Social Media - Gina Rosenthal (Independent) [Slides]

    • Information Confrontation 2022: A Loud War and a Quiet Enemy - Luke Richards (Independent)

    Saturday, August 13, 2022

    10:00 - 10:45: Tools for Fighting Disinformation - Workshop with Preslav Nakov - Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence)

     

    10:45 - 12:30: Mass Disinformation Operations: How to Detect and Assess Ops with OSINT and SOCMINT Tools and Techniques - Workshop with Paula González [Slides]

     

    12:30 - 13:15: Cognitive Security in Theory and Practice - Workshop with Sara-Jayne Terp [Slides]

     

    13:15 - 14:15: Break

     

    14:15 - 15:45: Talks and Demos

    • Memory Holing and the SEO Warping of Human History - Arikia Milikan (Journalist, Media Consultant)

    • Web Monetization: A Privacy-Preserving and Open Way to Earn from Content - Tech Demo with Uchi Uchibeke (Coil) [Slides]

    • Fireside Chat with Arikia Milikan and Uchi Uchibeke

    15:45 - 16:15: Guest Speaker Jessica Dheere (Ranking Digital Rights)
     
    16:15 - 16:45: Not Feeling Yourself: User Spoofing and Other Disinformation Exploits - Burninator [Slides]
    16:45 - 17:15 The Television News Visual Explorer: Cataloging Visual Narratives & Lending Context

    Kalev Leetaru (Founder, GDELT Project) [Watch Video]

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