Connexions is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on developing leadership in the information and technology space. In an era defined by rapid information evolution, our mission is to drive multi-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration, educate leaders, and foster a dynamic community that explores key issues, innovates solutions, and challenges current narratives shaping our hyper-connected world. Our recent annual conference, March 18-20, 2024, was dedicated to unraveling the complexities of information disorder, civil (dis)engagement, and the digital (r)evolution. We brought together thought leaders, scholars, and professionals from diverse fields to engage in a multifaceted exploration of how these phenomena affect social dynamics, governance, political movements, regional conflicts, and everyday life. For more information, visit https://connexions.ai/2024. Video created by Connexions Global Network with background music by Beat Mekanik "Drums Percussion Stomp."

Speaker: Peter Pomerantsev Discussant: Lee McIntyre

Moderator: Lee McIntyre Panelists: Nina Jankowicz, Tiffany Hsu, Jess Dawson, Roman Osadchuk This panel explores the ever-evolving battlefield of disinformation with seasoned experts who are at the frontlines. Gain insights into the latest tactics, technological advancements, and global trends that are shaping the ongoing battle to combat disinformation. This session unveiled strategies, challenges, and successes in the relentless fight against the manipulation of information.

Moderator: Kevin Lentz (GDIL) Panelists: Matt Armstrong, Adam Sikes, Jeff Trimble This panel explores the following: the importance of information strategies in strategic competition; historical and current U.S. experiences of information warfare; how our adversaries and competitors conduct information warfare; the way different U.S. agencies and organizations think about and organize information warfare; the difficulties of conducting information warfare in an open liberal democracy; and finally what can and should be done to situate the U.S. information warfare community to prevail in the current long term strategic competition.

Moderator: Robin Lerner Panelists: Justin Dyer, Sherri Greenberg, Amy Leff, Lee McIntyre In an era marked by pervasive skepticism, polarization, and disillusionment, rebuilding public trust in established institutions is an imperative albeit seemingly impossible challenge. This panel will explore the reasons why public trust in established institutions has diminished, including the obfuscation of truth, news media’s selective attention, and the holes of the rules-based system that America has long claimed to uphold. From healthcare to government, the discussion will broach the subject of how disinformation and social media platforms are playing a marked role in the widespread erosion of faith in even higher education. What policies and initiatives are being tested now and what more can be done to bridge the gap between government, institutions, and the public to renew trust. Or must the "systems" themselves be reimagined in order to re-engage the public? @UTexasResearch @UTAustin @lbjschool

Workshop presented by @_JohnHammond Description: Say we put our hacker hat on and we act as the adversary... how do these threat actors or scammers build out these fake accounts? With either misinformation, malware, cybercrime, social engineering and more -- we need to understand the offense to have a stronger defense. In this workshop we'll get hands-on and practical to craft our own sock puppet, and learn just how (scary) easy it is for bad actors. With that insight, we'll be better armed as a community to detect, identify and counteract misinformation alongside tactics & strategies for your own anonymity and security.

Moderator: Adam Klein (Strauss Center) Panelists: LTC Jason Brown, Robert Chesney, John Hammond, Francesca Lockhar An insightful exploration of the complex intersection of cyber policy, surveillance practices, and emerging technologies in the digital age, the "Law & Disorder" panel brings together leading experts to dissect pressing issues at the nexus of law, technology, and security. From the legal frameworks governing cyber operations to the ethical considerations surrounding emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing, the panel will cover key questions shaping the future of cyber policy and practices and unravel the complexities and impossibilities of the pursuit of law and order. With technology advancing practically at the speed of light, how can policymakers chart a course to reach a more secure and resilient future? @ArmyCyberInstituteWP @_JohnHammond @UTAustin @westpoint @RobertStraussCenter @utcreees

Moderator: Jeff Trimble Experts: Zuzana Koskova, Roman Osadchuk, Thomas Kent, Dren Gerguri A comprehensive examination of how Russia and China shape narratives on the global stage and the implications for international dynamics. Drawing on firsthand experiences and extensive research, the panelists share insights into the methods used by these countries to manipulate information, sow discord, and undermine democratic institutions in their respective nations and abroad. From disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks to covert propaganda and diplomatic coercion, this discussion sheds light on the multifaceted nature of influence operations in the digital age and explores countermeasures and solutions to this pervasive global problem. **This panel was sponsored by @academicstudiespress **

Moderator: Sean Guillory (Booz Allen Hamilton) Experts: LTG (ret.) Stephen Fogarty, Aryn Pyke (West Point), Natalie Stroud (UT Austin), Robert Thomson (West Point) Single domain attacks are a thing of the past. Physical/Kinetic attacks are done to “send messages” that can be transmitted through social media outlets within seconds and a tweet can both send stock markets crashing and ignite insurrections. These modern campaigns seamlessly weave between these dimensions and fighting forces that cannot bring the various expertise needed will be at a significant disadvantage. In our panel discussion, we will discuss how contemporary warfare campaigns converge across different dimensions; what that could look like as we move to a future with better AI, DeepFakes, and Spatial Computing; explain examples of modern forces who understand this new battlespace; and finally discuss what are things we can do to help our nation and allies in being successful in battling in converged domains. @boozallenhamilton971 @westpoint @ArmyCyberInstituteWP @texasmoody

Moderator: Greg Lindsay Panelists: Cyndi Coon, Christopher "Buck" Owens, Sandy Winkelman, Brian David Johnson No matter how incisive their analysis or detailed their scenarios, foresight practitioners often struggle to convince principals to abandon their assumptions and embrace uncertain futures. One tool for overcoming this resistance is storytelling. Narratives rooted in the specifics of a person facing, reacting to, and recovering from threats can typically go farther than dry scenarios. In this session, practitioners will discuss how and why they use science-fiction prototype to create futures that go beyond the plausible or probable to become compelling. @threatcastinglab6788 @ArmyCyberInstituteWP @imagineASU

Moderator: Craig Scott (Moody College, UT Austin) Experts: Matt Armstrong, Zuzana Košková, Jess Dawson, Leonid Ragozin The digital landscape serves as both a conduit for global communication and a battleground for influence operations. This panel, inspired by the framework of the Global Engagement Center, delves into the multifaceted challenge of countering foreign interference and information manipulation in the digital sphere. The expert panel from academia, government, and industry will explore the tactics and strategies employed by foreign actors. From disinformation campaigns and fake news to cyberattacks, the panel will analyze the evolving arsenal of techniques used to sow discord and undermine democratic processes and the role of emerging technologies, media literacy initiatives, and international cooperation in mitigating the negative effects of foreign interference. @texasmoody @westpoint @evropskehodnoty

Moderator: Jess Dawson Panelists: Phil Brennan, Tristan Lee, Bret Schafer, Jeremi Suri Delving into the ways in which extremist ideologies and misinformation proliferate through digital platforms, experts on this panel will examine strategies for countering online radicalization and combating the spread of false narratives. From the role of social media algorithms in amplifying misinformation to the challenges of fostering digital literacy and critical thinking skills, the discussion will address key issues at the intersection of technology, society, and democracy. Gain valuable insights into effective approaches for promoting informed citizenship, combatting disinformation, and fostering a more inclusive and resilient digital ecosystem and contribute to the discourse on what exactly a healthy information environment would look like. This will be the capstone conversation of #Connexions24 on navigating the complexities of information disorder and digital transformation in the modern age. @LiberalArtsUT @westpoint @GermanMarshallFund @bellingcatofficial

Live recording for the Connexions podcast with the full Threatcasting team. Hosted by CPT Basil Fedun. @threatcastinglab6788

Presenter: Bret Schafer Information Laundering: The use of digital methods to detect mirror, proxy, and amplification websites. A consistent challenge in tackling the spread of disinformation, state-sponsored propaganda, and extremist content is our inability to effectively identify and evaluate the sources of information we encounter online. Low-cost digital publishing tools and online platforms allow malicious actors to spread false, misleading, and manipulated information through an ecosystem of cut-outs, proxies, aggregators, and amplifiers that can effectively mask the original source of information from information consumers. To tackle this problem, the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) at the German Marshall Fund (GMF), the Institute for Strategic Dialogue Germany (ISD), and the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have developed a tool to detect similarities—both at the content and technical level—between seemingly unrelated websites. This workshop will introduce participants to the theories behind information laundering, the digital methods used to create the tool, and potential use cases.