Theresa Payton - Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
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Copyright 2020 by Theresa Payton

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information-storage and -retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Payton, Theresa, 1966 author.

Title: Manipulated : inside the cyberwar to hijack elections and distort the truth / Theresa
Payton.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: Stories from the Frontlines of the Global Cyberwar Cybersecurity expert Theresa Payton tells battlefront stories from the global war being conducted through clicks, swipes, internet access, technical backdoors and massive espionage schemes. She investigates the cyberwarriors who are planning tomorrows attacks, weaving a fascinating yet bone-chilling tale of Artificial Intelligent mutations carrying out attacks without human intervention, deepfake videos that look real to the naked eye, and chatbots that beget other chatbots. Finally, Payton offers readers telltale signs that their most fundamental beliefs are being meddled with and actions they can take or demand that corporations and elected officials must take before it is too late Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019048507 (print) | LCCN 2019048508 (ebook) | ISBN
9781538133507 (cloth ; alk. paper) | ISBN 9781538133514 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: ElectionsCorrupt practices. | Espionage. | DisinformationPolitical aspects. | Internet in political campaigns. | InternetSecurity measures. | Cyber intelligence (Computer security)

Classification: LCC JF1083 .P39 2020 (print) | LCC JF1083 (ebook) | DDC 364.1/324
dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019048507

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019048508

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992

I have something to admit to you. Im what many would consider a conspiracy theorist. Growing up, my sweet gram often would say to me, I havent voted since They killed the Kennedys. I once asked her respectfully (but in exasperation), Just who are They ? She nodded and said, Youre too young to understand now, kiddo, but you will. Pay attention. Always question. Never believe what They tell you, and youll be okay. Read lots of different sources. Dont let Them tell you how to think. Ever. RIP Gram. That wisdom shapes how I do my job today. Its not that I dont believe what people tell me; I believe they believe its true. Im often quoted saying, Its only paranoia if its not true. Yes, I am skeptical of everything now, and I study the manipulators of these social and political issues on your behalf. The collective They may not be any one specific group, but know this: They are manipulating you. They are trying to divide us, because They hate democracythe idea that the power is held by the people versus the concentrated few. I am convinced we all need to put on our conspiracy hats to spot the manipulators conducting their tradecraft and to not fall prey to their schemes due to our confirmation biases. Authoring this book is one of most important pieces of work I have undertaken in my career. I pray and hope I got it right.

I first met Theresa Payton through her cybersecurity work for some of the worlds most important global companies. Theresas passion to protect and defend our nation, allies, businesses, and citizens comes as no surprise for those who know her well. Its in her DNA to serve. Much of Theresas family has served in the US armed forces, including her dad and maternal grandfather, who served as Marines. Theresas husband, a Naval Academy graduate, was a surface-warfare officer with the Navy. She worked in the White House for President George W. Bush in cybersecurity. Knowing that Theresa was working on this book, I told her that I wanted to read it first. My wife accused her of never sleeping: we dont think she does; you see, Theresa is a patriot on a mission.

As both the assistant commandant and later the commandant of the Marine Corps, from 2008 to 2014, I saw from the front lines that we were fighting a cyberwar against adversaries old and new. Id watched manipulation campaigns evolve over time, moving from solely a ground game to a ground and digital game in the late 1990s. By 2000, we in the military had observed cyber campaigns jump the line from nation-states trying new military tactics into a global digital arms race. Today, instead of focusing solely on hacking equipment or stealing data, the latest tactic is to make us doubt what we hold to be true and to distort that truth through misinformation and manipulation campaigns. Now with only technical equipment and small teams, a person can conduct a battle with the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger.

My successor as commandant wrote in his 2014 Strategic Plan for the US Marine Corps that

Globalization will continue to increase interdependence between nations, placing a premium on access to the worlds commonsland, sea, air, space, and cyber.... As difficult as the physical and fiscal aspects of operations will be, the evolving information environment and cultural terrain will be even more challenging. The rapid development of new technologies coupled with easy access to cyber-based capabilities and advanced precision weaponry further empower state and nonstate actors and amplify the risks to US and allies interests. Therefore, the ability to comprehend and shape these dimensions of the modern operating environment will be integrated into the development of the force.

Although written in 2014, this endures and applies to todays threats. I studied military history throughout my time as a Marine. Todays influence campaigns represent the logical progression of centuries of manipulation between warring rivals, enemies, and friends, within and across countries. The digital age has only sped up the game and raised the stakes. As frightening as the potential hacking of our voting booths is to consider, Theresa is right when she says that the manipulation of our civil and social discourse may well be even more dangerous.

In Manipulated , Theresa takes the reader right into the trenches of todays hackers. From her time serving in the executive office of the president of the United States to her years of fighting cybercrime as founder and CEO of Fortalice Solutions, she knows who the operatives are and how they conduct their tradecraft. From zombie computers to sock puppets to bots, she describes what the buzzwords mean and how these new tactics are leveraged against ordinary people. Theresas exclusive interview with an unnamed hacker reveals the real anatomy of a manipulation campaignfirsthandfrom the person who actually ran the operation. The story is both a page-turner and an eye-opener.

Finally, after reassessing the 2016 and 2018 US elections, Theresa offers her predictions for where we are headed in 2020. Given her seeming clairvoyance in early 2016 that manipulation and misinformation campaigns would be a thing, and that the Internet of things would be leveraged to harm the Internet infrastructure, we would do well to heed her words. What will the world look like if this meddling continues unabated? Theresa emphasizes that our country needs to act nowand to do so with our global allies. The fight will require not just government actions but also the commitment of social-media companies, tech giants, and global citizens, all working together. Manipulated concludes with a how-to guide to empower the reader to take action.