The UK’s new National Centre for Information Defence must be supported by action across regional businesses, education, government and cyber networks.

This was the view of Dr Ismini Vasileiou, founder and director of the East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster (EMCSC) in an interview with BBC Radio Leicester.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham this week announced that security chiefs will set up the new centre in a bid to tackle disinformation and deepfakes from hostile states.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester’s afternoon show following the announcement, Dr Vasileiou said the new centre could play an important role in coordinating the response to hostile information campaigns.

But she warned that information defence cannot be treated as a challenge for national institutions alone.

“I would start with coordination, and that’s the most important thing,” she said.

“Information threats can involve cyber activities, social media, artificial intelligence, fake accounts and hostile states – and no single organisation can tackle that alone.”

The National Centre for Information Defence is expected to help detect and disrupt disinformation campaigns, including activity involving AI-generated content, fake websites, automated accounts and online impersonation.

However, Dr Vasileiou said that detection and disruption need to be matched by a stronger focus on cyber resilience, public understanding and the human factors that make disinformation effective.

Disinformation and misformation

During the interview, Dr Vasileiou explained that disinformation differs from everyday misinformation because it is created or shared deliberately to influence people.

“Disinformation is false or misleading information, and it is deliberately created or shared to deceive people,” she said. 

“There is a direct intention to influence what people believe, how they behave, or how they view an issue, organisation or even a country.”

For businesses and organisations, this can extend beyond the national security context. A convincing fake message may impersonate a senior leader or a fabricated article or social-media post may target an organisation’s reputation. Automated accounts can rapidly amplify a false claim and make it appear as though large numbers of people support it.

Dr Vasileiou said automated accounts and fabricated online content can be particularly effective because they can appear genuine at first glance.

“You might see what appears to be genuine content, a news article, a document or a social-media post, but it could be shared in thousands of accounts,” she continued. 

“Bots can amplify the content very quickly and create the impression that a lot of real people are saying the same thing.”

AI increasing speed of deepfakes

AI is making this issue more difficult by changing the speed, scale and sophistication of deceptive content.

Synthetic images, cloned voices, manipulated video and highly targeted messaging can now be produced more easily and tailored to particular groups or individuals. This makes it harder for people and organisations to rely on familiar warning signs when assessing whether information is genuine.

“The reality is that it is becoming increasingly difficult,” Dr Vasileiou told BBC Radio Leicester. “We need to move away from expecting every individual to become an expert at spotting deepfakes.”

She added that a practical response needs to go beyond technology alone.

“The answer has to combine technology, education and a much better understanding of human behaviour,” she added.

That point is central to EMCSC’s view of information defence. These campaigns are designed to affect trust, judgement and behaviour. 

Technical detection is essential, but organisations also need employees who feel able to question suspicious content, leaders who understand their communication responsibilities and clear routes for escalating concerns.

Cyber resilience and detection

The announcement of a national centre represents an important step in bringing together intelligence, government, law enforcement, technology and research capability.

However, Dr Vasileiou believes information defence should be considered part of the wider cyber resilience challenge, rather than a separate issue.

She said: “Organisations cannot assume that every harmful campaign will be stopped before it reaches employees, customers or partners. They need proportionate plans for responding when their people, brand or operations are targeted by a false claim, impersonation attempt or manipulated piece of content.

“We are not going to remove every piece of disinformation. We need individuals, organisations and communities to recognise it and withstand manipulation.”

For SMEs, practical preparation may include establishing a straightforward process for reporting suspicious messages, making clear who can communicate externally on behalf of the organisation, reviewing publicly available information that could be used in impersonation, and knowing where to find trusted advice when an incident occurs.

Regional action remains vital

During the interview, Dr Vasileiou said coordination is central to tackling information threats because they can involve cyber activity, social media, artificial intelligence, fake accounts and hostile states.

A national centre can bring together the intelligence, government, law-enforcement, technology and research capability needed to identify and disrupt those threats, however, Dr Vasileiou made it clear that no single organisation can tackle the challenge alone.

She said: “This is where regional cyber ecosystems have an important role. EMCSC brings together employers, universities, cyber specialists, education providers and public-sector partners to help turn national cyber capability into practical support for businesses and communities across the East Midlands.

“Regional collaboration can help ensure that SMEs and local organisations have access to relevant expertise, trusted guidance and opportunities to build their resilience. It can also help translate research and national policy into practical action, while strengthening digital literacy and workforce awareness.

“The National Centre for Information Defence is an important development. Its impact will depend on how effectively national capability connects with the organisations and communities it is designed to protect.”