Foreign intelligence services have used social media platforms to gather information and manipulate public opinion for years.

Foreign intelligence services have used social media platforms to gather information and manipulate public opinion for years. One of the methods they use to achieve this is by pretending to be someone else on social media. This tactic commonly referred to as "social engineering," involves creating fake social media profiles that appear to be operated by real people.

They pretend to be someone else and often start positive relationships over time to build trust, then strike. It is easy to be blinded by this and not consider safety.

In 2017, both my FB, LinkedIn and Gmail accounts were hacked. In addition, an association that I worked with was hacked. Both the National Security Authority in Norway, the Police Security Service and the Défense Intelligence Service were informed at the time. Then, the association and I were hacked by foreign intelligence. Why this happened is still unknown, as the association nor I engaged in any political work or of.

The other day I was made aware that I may have accepted several fake profiles on my LinkedIn. Since I have several thousand contacts, I have yet to have an opportunity to check the authenticity of most of them. At the same time, I have met and built relationships with several people on LinkedIn. I have met most of them in various work contexts and accepted them after we met at various conferences and lectures. The person who brought this to my attention is also a fake profile, where his IP address has been tracked and handed over to the proper authorities.

Due to today's security picture, one must be much more sceptical about adding contacts. It may appear that connections I have had for several years that I have thought were real are different from this.

Since it was confirmed that my FB, LinkedIn, and Gmail account was hacked in 2017 by foreign intelligence service, there is also a great reason to believe that there is considerable information on the way without me necessarily being able to do much with this now. This time, too, I have chosen to get in touch with my contacts in the intelligence service and inform them of possible irregularities.

In recent years, foreign intelligence services have increasingly taken advantage of the ubiquity of social media platforms to further their agenda. By infiltrating these platforms with fake profiles, foreign entities have been able to manipulate public opinion and propagate false information. This paper will examine the techniques used by these foreign entities to leverage social media for their benefit and the effectiveness of these techniques.

Social media has become an indispensable tool for people all around the world. It has become an essential platform for people to communicate with each other and share information. As such, it is no surprise that foreign entities have taken advantage of this platform to further their agendas. By creating fake profiles that mimic real people, these foreign entities have been able to propagate false information and manipulate public opinion in their favour.

Foreign entities use the first technique to leverage social media by creating fake profiles. These profiles are designed to mimic real people to gain their trust. This can be done by copying their profile pictures, personal information, and interests. By establishing these fake profiles, foreign entities can gain access to private conversations, post false information, and manipulate public opinion in their favour.

Another technique used by foreign entities is by impersonating real people. This involves creating a profile replica of the natural person, down to minor details. This allows foreign entities to gain the trust of those they are impersonating and gain access to their private conversations. In addition, this technique also allows foreign entities to manipulate public opinion by giving false information about the copied person.

Foreign entities have been known to employ bots to propagate false information. These bots are programmed to post incorrect information in a seemingly random pattern. This makes it harder for users to distinguish between real and fake news. In addition, these bots can also be used to manipulate public opinion in a particular direction. Foreign entities have increasingly leveraged social media to influence public opinion and propagate false information. From creating fake profiles to employing bots, foreign entities have used various techniques to further their agendas. As such, social media users must be aware of these tactics and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.

Social engineering can take many forms, but the goal is always to gain access to sensitive information, spread disinformation, or influence public opinion. Foreign intelligence services sometimes create fake profiles to gather information about specific individuals or organisations. Others use these profiles to spread propaganda and disinformation or manipulate public opinion on issues.

One-way foreign intelligence services create fake profiles is by stealing the identities of real people. This can involve using personal information obtained through hacking or social engineering to create a profile that appears to be operated by someone else. The fake profile may include photos, individual details, and even posts and comments like those made by the natural person.

Another method foreign intelligence services use is creating fake personas from scratch. These personas may include a backstory, personal details, and other information designed to make them appear authentic. The aim is to create a convincing profile to fool other users on the platform.

Once the fake profile is created, foreign intelligence services can use it to infiltrate groups or networks of interest. For example, suppose the target is a social media group or online community member. In that case, the foreign intelligence service can use the fake profile to join the group and interact with other members. The foreign intelligence service can gather information about the group's activities, interests, and vulnerabilities through these interactions.

Foreign intelligence services may also use fake profiles to spread propaganda and disinformation. This can involve creating posts or comments influencing public opinion on a particular issue. The foreign intelligence service can make its message appear more credible and convincing by posing as a natural person with a genuine interest in the topic.

In conclusion, foreign intelligence services are increasingly using social media platforms to create fake profiles and manipulate public opinion. They can gather information, spread disinformation, and influence public opinion on various issues by pretending to be someone else. As social media continues to play an ever-increasing role in our lives, foreign intelligence services will likely continue to develop new and innovative ways to use these platforms to their advantage. It's easy to get blinded by good comments and likes. For reflection, one must become better at examining whom one accepts in one's network and connections on various social media platforms. For my part, cleaning up the job on LinkedIn is all set to begin.