The Weaponization of Social Media: Spear Phishing and Cyberattacks on Democracy

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Weaponization of Social Media

T2 - Spear Phishing and Cyberattacks on Democracy

AU - Bossetta, Michael

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - State-sponsored cyber groups have long utilized spear phishing to pierce government networks. Spear phishing relies on social engineering to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software, rather than hacking into a system vulnerability by force. While email remains the preferred medium to conduct spear-phishing attacks, social media has opened up new attack vectors for politically motivated cyberattacks.Social media platforms, as high-trust environments typically accessed from a mobile device for personal entertainment or networking, are highly conducive waters for spear phishing. Moreover, the wealth of public information availableon social media can be exploited by threat actors to devise sophisticated (and automated) spear phishing campaigns that target government and military personnel. This study examines how illiberal regimes are weaponizing socialmedia to conduct spear phishing and cyber espionage against Western governments.A theoretical model of spear phishing on social media is proposed and supported by recent empirical examples from the European Union and United States.

AB - State-sponsored cyber groups have long utilized spear phishing to pierce government networks. Spear phishing relies on social engineering to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software, rather than hacking into a system vulnerability by force. While email remains the preferred medium to conduct spear-phishing attacks, social media has opened up new attack vectors for politically motivated cyberattacks.Social media platforms, as high-trust environments typically accessed from a mobile device for personal entertainment or networking, are highly conducive waters for spear phishing. Moreover, the wealth of public information availableon social media can be exploited by threat actors to devise sophisticated (and automated) spear phishing campaigns that target government and military personnel. This study examines how illiberal regimes are weaponizing socialmedia to conduct spear phishing and cyber espionage against Western governments.A theoretical model of spear phishing on social media is proposed and supported by recent empirical examples from the European Union and United States.

UR - https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/weaponization-social-media-spear-phishing-and-cyberattacks-democracy

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0022-197X

VL - 2018 Special Issue, vol. 71

SP - 97

EP - 106

JO - Journal of International Affairs

JF - Journal of International Affairs

IS - 2

M1 - 6

ER -