SRI breaks silence on threats in the online environment
The Romanian Intelligence Service reacted through a press release, according to the requests of the media representatives regarding the misinformation and propaganda activities in the online environment.
In this statement, the SRI states that it constantly analyzes the state of security at national level, in accordance with the attributions conferred by the legal framework, in order to anticipate, prevent and counteract the threats in the online environment generated by hostile actors in order to affect the constitutional order and the resilience of the state, and cooperate with the other institutions.
The service aims to identify, analyze and combat risks and threats to the national security generated by how various actors use the online environment for carrying out hostile operations from the sphere of propaganda and misinformation, in particular through non -authorized behaviors at the level of social platforms, an aspect that, in one form or the other, contradiction.
According to the SRI, the use of false account networks, which act coordinated and, possibly, by automated methods, is highlighted by a series of online behavior such as:
• the reduced activity until the repetitive post of some propaganda or misinformation narratives;
• a non -terrible number of following in relation to the history of the activity and the distributed content;
• concomitant activity, at non-specific time intervals to real users (large breaks in activity, repetitive comments/appreciation in a short period of time);
• the similarity of the name of some accounts (derived from a common name);
• The use of tactics adapted to each platform for artificial increase of the promoted content audiences.
The Romanian Intelligence Service also specifies that according to the legal attributions, provided in art. 2 of Law no. 14/1992, organizes and performs activities for collecting, verifying and capitalizing on the information necessary for knowledge, prevention and counteracting any actions that constitute, according to the law, threats to the national safety of Romania.
By adopting Law no. 58/2023, the Law no. 51/1991, by adding to art. 3 of two new threats to national security as follows:
o) actions, inactions or states of fact with consequences at national, regional or global level that affect the resilience of the state in relation to hybrid risks and threats;
p) actions carried out by a state or non -state entity, by achieving, in the cyber space, of some propaganda or misinformation campaigns, which may affect the constitutional order.
