Conclusion

The goal of these new attack campaigns is not just to twist the narrative on any singular particular topic; it is to use the topic and the inherent shared nature of social media to not only spread false or misleading information but also include misdirection and malware links within the narrative itself to spread exploitation.

In other words, the goal of the new type of attack campaigns that are present today and in the future is to overtly try to spread fake news and confuse a target population as to what is the truth. Additionally, it is also to use the reactions, shares, trends, and influencer capabilities of these platforms to spread technical exploitation. This is altogether a much easier way for the malicious actors, especially nation state agents and operators who have coordinated activities and deep funding capabilities behind them, to increase the likelihood that their exploits are interacted with and ultimately activated.

This campaign method is much broader...