ECU collaborates on defence grant to combat misinformation online

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ECU collaborates on defence grant to combat misinformation online

Monday, 20 May 2024

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Researchers are collaborating to combat the intentional spread of misinformation online, by better understanding the defence analytics that are crucial to national security.

The study, Empowering the open-source intelligence (OSINT) analyst through explainable models, has received a $150,000 Defence Science Centre (DSC) Collaborative Research Grant (CRG), to enhance Western Australia's social cybersecurity capabilities.

The study sees Edith Cowan University partnering with the University of Western Australia and technology company PHASE in a multidisciplinary collaboration to develop a framework to improve social media data analysis.

ECU's Dr Stephanie Meek, who will work closely with project leads Dr Mehwish Nasim and Associate Professor Michael Wise from UWA's School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing, said the research is anticipated to make a significant advancement in data analysis and AI.

Dr Meek is a Lecturer and Researcher in ECU's School of Business and Law and has extensive experience with collaborative research, including several ongoing projects with the Department of Defence. Dr Meek has a diverse academic background and has made significant contributions to the fields of marketing, business research and education with a particular focus on interactive internet-based consumer behaviour and the persuasive elements of online communication.

According to Dr Meek, this substantial grant from the Defence Science Centre will enable the project to delve into cutting-edge methodologies aimed at enhancing the capability of defence analysts in deciphering data, with significant potential for practical implementations.

Dr Meek said she is honoured to represent ECU in such a critical project, explaining the timeliness of the grant in combatting those with malicious agendas, who have been quick to recognise just how powerful social media is for the spread of misinformation.

With the Defence grant support, Dr Nasim, Dr Meek, and the team are building a framework that will model how user interactions and engagements on social media platforms can offer early indications of broader societal events.

Utilising the systems being developed by the team, analysts could construct a social profile of malicious actors, particularly synthetic users, involved in contentious topics and disseminating misinformation. This functionality would offer end-users timely visibility into nefarious campaigns, empowering them to counteract the attempts before they gain significant traction.

Project lead Dr Nasim said sophisticated analytical models were vital to interpreting – and even predicting – the outcomes of high-stakes defence scenarios such as national security threats.

"Additionally, we're creating a flexible system that incorporates expert opinions and historical data to communicate these social media trends to analysts and end-users effectively," said Dr Nasim. Adding "We are diversifying Australia's information warfare capabilities by enhancing social cybersecurity and providing Australian Defence with preventative measures against crisis and instability."

The Collaborative Research Grant (CRG) is one of several grants operating through the Defence Science Centre.

Find more information on the CRG on the Defence Science Centre grants programs page.

School of Business and Law