Over the past few years, hostile forces have resorted to every possible means to sabotage the Vietnamese revolution; among these, cognitive warfare has been increasingly and extensively applied, aimed at eroding the People’s trust in our Party, State, and Military. Therefore, correctly identifying the nature, operational mechanisms, and manifestations of cognitive warfare, together with adopting effective prevention and countermeasures, is a matter of paramount importance today.

Cognitive warfare - A new form of warfare

Cognitive warfare is the comprehensive use of various forms and measures to influence human cognitive processes through information manipulation, in order to alter thinking, emotions, and behaviour, and to direct the adversary to act in accordance with the objectives set by the perpetrator.

Unlike traditional warfare - which seeks to destroy the adversary’s forces and means - and information warfare - which seeks to control and dominate information flows - cognitive warfare directly targets the human brain, shaping how information is received and processed, thereby causing the adversary to change their own perceptions without realising they are being manipulated. In other words, cognitive warfare is the combination of psychological warfare, information warfare, cyber warfare, and new achievements in science and technology, employed to create purposeful information flows that manipulate cognition, steer public opinion, and guide the actions of individuals, communities, and society as a whole, with the aim of sowing internal division and triggering social upheaval in line with the perpetrator’s objectives. This is precisely why many international experts regard cognitive warfare as one of the most dangerous, sophisticated, and difficult-to-detect unconventional methods of warfare in the 21st century, particularly in the context of the robust development of information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and social media platforms.

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Characteristics and manifestations of cognitive warfare

Whereas the targets of traditional warfare are the adversary’s military forces, infrastructure, and economic potential, in cognitive warfare, the targets are human beings and society as a whole, with a focus on groups capable of creating and disseminating information, or those strongly influenced by it, especially cadres, Party members, young people, students, social media influencers, and demographic groups vulnerable to disinformation. In cognitive warfare, the primary “combat environment” is cyberspace - fertile ground for exploiting and manipulating the adversary, particularly social media platforms, through increasingly sophisticated, insidious, and continuous means of influence targeting each individual, organisation, and community. By leveraging the integration of digital technology, artificial intelligence, big data, algorithms, and digital platforms, malicious actors can fabricate, manipulate, and amplify information, generating “waves of public opinion” that sweep recipients along with herd mentality, thereby inciting skepticism, discontent, and defiance within society. Given its cross-border nature, rapid dissemination, and lack of spatial or temporal constraints; combined with its low cost and the difficulty in controlling or fully identifying the underlying actors and their intentions, cognitive warfare has emerged as a particularly dangerous form of warfare today.

The impact of cognitive warfare

In Vietnam, although the concept of cognitive warfare is relatively new, its manifestations have become increasingly complex and dangerous. At present, hostile and reactionary forces are thoroughly exploiting cyberspace, especially cross-border social media platforms, to deny the revolutionary and scientific nature of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s Ideology, and the Party’s renovation policy; to distort the nation’s history; to defame the leadership of the Party and State; to divide the great national unity bloc; and to spread false information that undermines the environment for socio-economic development. Notably, they also deny the revolutionary nature, traditions, and noble qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, distort the functions and missions of the Military, and separate the solidarity between the military and the public - all in pursuit of their scheme to “depoliticise the Military” and progressively weaken the ideological and political foundation of our Party, State, and regime. In practice, over the past years, hostile forces have exploited social media to distort perceptions, shake confidence, and influence the attitudes and behaviour of a segment of the population, for example: distorting religious freedom issues in connection with sensitive events; distorting the nature of corruption trials; and exploiting environmental incidents and natural disasters to incite discontent and resistance within society, etc.

Prevention and countermeasures

With the rapid advancement of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and digital media platforms, cognitive warfare will continue to evolve in a complex manner, expanding in scope, growing more sophisticated in its methods, and intensifying in its impact. This demands that all levels, sectors, forces, and the entire political system fully recognise the risks and dangers of cognitive warfare; at the same time, they must leverage their comprehensive strength, enhance their capacity for prevention, deterrence, and struggle, and neutralise negative impacts, thereby contributing to firmly holding the ideological front and consolidating the People’s trust, with a focus on the following solutions:

Firstly, enhancing political mettle and strengthening cognitive “immunity” among cadres, Party members, and the People. Accordingly, Party committees and organisations at all levels must continue to innovate the content and forms of political and ideological education; improve the quality of the study of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought; and thoroughly grasp the Party’s resolutions, directives, and conclusions, especially Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW, dated 22 October 2018, of the Political Bureau (12th tenure) on strengthening the protection of the Party’s ideological foundation and refuting erroneous and hostile viewpoints in the new situation. It is essential to regularly assess the situation accurately and make early forecasts of the risks affecting the mindset of cadres, Party members, and the People; and to promptly adopt appropriate measures for managing and using social media in the face of the powerful development of digital technology and the new media environment. Functional agencies - above all the Military, Public Security, news and press agencies, and socio-political organisations - must coordinate closely, forging comprehensive strength in preventing and combating cognitive warfare. Within the Military, political theory education must be integrated with moral and traditional education, preserving and promoting the qualities and culture of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era; cadres and soldiers must be informed and educated to clearly recognise the schemes and sabotage stratagems of hostile forces, thereby strengthening their “resilience” and “immunity” against distortion and incitement.

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Secondly, promoting the role of cadres and Party members in enhancing the capacity to identify and refute false and harmful information. One of the major reasons why cognitive warfare inflicts such serious harm is that many people receive information but lack verification, evaluation, and critical thinking skills. Therefore, all levels, sectors, and forces must accelerate the promotion of information security knowledge, digital skills, and fake news recognition skills among cadres, Party members, and the public, thereby cultivating the habit of verifying information sources before sharing or commenting. Cadres and Party members must serve as the vanguard force in guiding cognition and consolidating the People’s trust; proactively propagating, explaining, and orienting public opinion whenever complex issues arise.

For the armed forces, it is necessary to hold training courses in psychology, sociology, international law, foreign languages, cyber warfare skills, information analysis, and media crisis management, ensuring that cadres and soldiers are capable of both self-protection and active participation in combating erroneous viewpoints and handling emerging situations in the digital environment. It is crucial to constantly and firmly grasp the ideological stance of cadres and soldiers; promptly detect and resolve signs of hesitation or deviation in awareness, preventing them from accumulating into complex issues. Emphasis must be placed on building a corps of experts in information technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence; while continuously investing to modernise cyber warfare units and enhance the capability to monitor, detect, and handle sabotage activities early and from afar.

Thirdly, promoting the role of press and media agencies and specialised forces in preventing and countering cognitive warfare. In cognitive warfare, information gaps provide the conditions for hostile forces to spread fake news and misleading public opinion. Therefore, news and press agencies, particularly mainstream media outlets, must proactively provide and orient information. It is essential to establish a mechanism for rapid, accurate, objective, and persuasive information provision, especially on sensitive and complex matters of public concern. Strongly innovate content, formats, and methods of communication; increase in-depth, engaging, and highly persuasive press and media products; and spread good values as well as examples of good people and good deeds, contributing to consolidating the People’s trust. The specialised force tasked with protecting the Party’s ideological foundation in cyberspace needs to enhance the application of advanced technologies to improve the capacity for early monitoring, detection, and identification of abnormal information trends, as well as issues at risk of being exploited for distortion, incitement, and cognitive manipulation, thereby providing timely advice and appropriate, effective handling measures.

Fourthly, building a healthy cultural environment; regularly listening to and promptly resolving the People’s concerns. Cognitive warfare targets not only individual cognition but also seeks to erode cultural value systems and social trust. Therefore, Party committees and organisations at all levels must prioritise building a healthy cultural environment within agencies, units, and localities, attaching importance to promoting the patriotic tradition, the spirit of solidarity, and the sense of responsibility among cadres, Party members, and the People in fulfilling the tasks of building and protecting the Fatherland. Regularly pay attention to caring for the material and spiritual lives of the People; strengthen dialogue, listen to the People’s opinions, and promptly resolve pressing issues right from the local and grassroots levels to prevent them from turning into hot spots. When citizens have full access to information and their petitions are satisfactorily resolved in accordance with legal regulations, there will be no room for distorting propaganda. Therefore, Party committees, local authorities, and functional agencies must focus on addressing the practical issues that matter to the People, leaving no policy gaps or information gaps for hostile forces to exploit for distortion, incitement, and division of the great national unity bloc.

Amid the rapid advancement of science, technology, and social media, cognitive warfare will continue to evolve in its methods, tactics, and scale of impact. Therefore, correctly identifying its nature, operational mechanisms, and emerging variants is a matter of great significance, enabling the adoption of effective prevention and countermeasures, the maintenance of a proactive posture on the ideological front, contributing to the firm protection of the Fatherland from early on and from afar.

Senior Colonel, Dr. HA THANH TUNG, Political Academy