Undercovering the Social Cybersecurity Arsenal: Defending against China's "Weapons of Mass Persuasion"

China's global media information warfare campaign is quickly challenging U.S. National Security interests in Asia. China recognizes that social media is the quickest way to influence the most significant number of people, and unfiltered access to information with unregulated social media platforms makes democratic societies vulnerable to cyber-enabled malicious influence activities. To defend against China's coercive influence operations, the United States must implement a social cybersecurity and information warfare campaign. An Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)-enabled social cybersecurity solution can help characterize the social network and combat cyber-enabled threats. The iterative testing of a social cybersecurity playbook during military exercises and diplomatic engagements can better visualize and evolve actions and reactions within the social, digital network. Last, the United States should pursue a multilateral strategy with key allies and partners to challenge Beijing's aggressive global media offensive. The goal is to block China's efforts to thwart U.S. national security interests by pursuing a coordinated, comprehensive, and proactive strategy that combines social science with technology, joint and interagency efforts, and multilateral cooperation.