Recommended actions for Riga residents in obtaining reliable information and recognizing misinformation on a daily basis

On Wednesday, May 8, the second “Riga Civil Defense Plan – Know and Participate!” campaign for residents organized by the Riga Municipality was held. a seminar dedicated to methods of obtaining reliable information in crisis situations and practical examples of recognizing fake news.

“At the second civil defense seminar in Riga, we heard really valuable advice from leading experts in the field, how not to get caught on the hook of disinformation and how to effectively protect your devices, data and financial assets from the access of manipulators, hackers and phishers. At a time when information manipulation is becoming more and more sophisticated, also well-informed citizens should watch this seminar. I also invite all those interested to mark June 5 in their calendars, when we will inform about evacuation and personal safety in emergency situations,” says Riga City Council Deputy Chairman Linda Ozola.

“The main task of the national armed forces is the defense of the country, but our work is unthinkable without the support and involvement of the public. Today, information is a battlefield – being informed, knowing how to deal with received information is extremely important for both your own and society’s safety and protection,” he emphasizes Head of the Information Analysis and Management Department of the Joint Staff of the National Armed Forces, Colonel Māris Tūtins.

In the seminar “Receiving information and the risks of disinformation – recommended actions that protect”, experts focused on educational questions about ways of obtaining information in crisis situations, manipulative methods in the information space, cyber security, also providing insight into practical examples of recognizing disinformation or fake news.

The main recommendations of the experts of the second civil defense seminar in obtaining information and evaluating its veracity:

Ways and channels of obtaining information

• In obtaining information, rely on the news provided by Latvian public media;
• When you hear alarm sirens or loudspeakers, turn on TV and Radio – Latvian Television or Latvian Radio, follow the information on the Internet www.lsm.lv;
• Follow the information also on the websites of the responsible services, e.g. www.sargs.lv and on their social network accounts. You will also receive information in other forms of notification, which will be carried out by state and local government institutions;
• Download the State Fire and Rescue Service application “112 Latvija” or see the website www.112.lv;
• Follow the instructions!;
• Prepare backup communication channels in time – purchase several SIM cards of mobile operators, several simple mobile phones with a long service life, backup power sources, radio receiver, walkie-talkies.

Manipulation methods in the information space

The main goals of manipulation are create confusion in the population, undermine trust in state institutions and quality media, as well as create the illusion that lies are being told all around and no one should be believed.

Manipulation methods:

• Expressed rejection – the message is “refuted” with personal attacks and ridicule;
• Distorted information – informative materials are fabricated (disinformation), fake experts appear and one-sided information provision is observed;
• Distracting – exaggerating what opponents say, spreading conspiracies, increasing information noise around a less important, but potentially sensitive topic for the public;
• Intimidation – creating a false dilemma by making one threat object less threatening than another threat object.

Safety in the Internet environment

• Uses different passwords and PIN codes;
• Additional authentication tools are used (two-factor protection, biometrics);
• To protect passwords, store them in an encrypted form using password storage programs;
• Do not enter information on unknown and unverified websites!;
• Perform software updates to ensure that the most effective security models are available and implemented to protect your data.

Fake news recognition and recommended actions

Using technologies, it is possible to create deepfake materials of various formats – images, videos and audio recordings, which look/sound very realistic and whose fakeness is difficult to detect without in-depth research, so make sure you know the answer to the questions – who is the author of the news, when the news was written or shown, what is the purpose of the news and where the news came from.

• Trust only known sources of information and information provided by state institutions and municipalities;
• Do not spread information from unknown sources. Try to limit and refute false and deliberately distorted information;
• Familiarize yourself with information from state and local government institutions about the recommended course of action in the event of a threat of military invasion and find out in good time the possibilities of communication with state and local government institutions located in the vicinity (e.g. police, military units, medical institutions, state fire and rescue institutions, state border guard);
• Familiarize yourself in detail with the appearance of the uniforms and service certificates of the state and local government services, in order to be able to distinguish them from the services of the possible aggressor state if necessary.

Learn more about manipulative disinformation methods in the information room https://melnsuzbalta.lv/ and ways to protect yourself from cyber attacks https://cert.lv/lv/par-mums/cert-lv-dns-ugunsmuris

Civil protection plan of Riga municipality, recordings of seminars and various other useful informational materials on how to act in emergency situations are available on the website of the municipality www.riga.lv in the section “Civil Defense”. The next seminar will take place on June 5, where experts will talk about evacuation and personal safety in emergency situations.

Residents of Riga are invited to be active, to familiarize themselves with the website www.riga.lv the available information, follow the information on the municipality’s social networks and participate in the seminars organized by the municipality, because awareness contributes to the feeling of security and allows to avoid misunderstandings and mistakes.

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