SI-014-06:
Information Warfare &
Cognitive Security Strategy

Situation
The nature of conflict has expanded into the information domain, where influence, perception, and narrative have become strategic weapons. Disinformation, misinformation, psychological operations, and algorithm-driven content manipulation are increasingly used to shape public opinion, destabilize societies, and influence political and economic outcomes.

Digital platforms and social media ecosystems have amplified the speed, scale, and reach of information flows, often without adequate control or verification mechanisms. This creates an environment where false or manipulated information can spread rapidly, eroding trust in institutions, increasing polarization, and weakening social cohesion.

At the national level, responses to information threats remain fragmented and reactive. There is limited coordination between government, media, technology platforms, and civil society, and insufficient capability to detect, analyze, and respond to coordinated information operations in real time.

Shift
Information security must evolve from content-level control and reactive response to a systemic cognitive security strategy, focused on protecting the integrity of information environments and the resilience of public perception.

The shift is from managing information to securing cognition—ensuring that citizens, institutions, and decision-makers are not easily manipulated by external or internal influence operations.

This requires the integration of information monitoring, narrative analysis, behavioral insights, and strategic communication into a unified framework. Information warfare becomes a recognized domain of national security, integrated with cyber, economic, and societal systems.

Advantage
Thailand’s strong cultural foundation, shared social values, and relatively cohesive national identity provide a baseline level of societal resilience against divisive narratives.

The country’s centralized communication channels and growing digital infrastructure create opportunities to coordinate messaging, align public communication strategies, and respond more effectively to emerging information threats.

Additionally, Thailand can leverage its regional position to develop capabilities in information governance and digital trust, positioning itself as a stable and credible actor in an increasingly volatile information environment.

Additional Structural Advantage
Thailand can establish a multi-layered cognitive security framework, including:

• real-time monitoring of information flows across digital platforms

• detection and analysis of coordinated influence operations

• integration of behavioral science and data analytics to understand public perception dynamics

• alignment of government communication, media, and platform governance

Integration with NSOS enables information and cognitive signals to be incorporated into national threat intelligence, allowing early detection of social instability risks and coordinated response across domains.

Furthermore, collaboration with private sector platforms and media organizations can enhance both reach and effectiveness of national communication strategies.

Implication
Without a cognitive security strategy, the nation becomes vulnerable to invisible manipulation, where public perception, trust, and decision-making are influenced by external actors or uncontrolled information dynamics.

This can lead to social fragmentation, institutional distrust, and weakened national unity—ultimately undermining national security from within.

Conversely, a robust strategy enables the nation to maintain information integrity, social stability, and strategic narrative control. It strengthens public trust, enhances resilience against manipulation, and ensures that national discourse supports long-term stability and development.

Cognitive security becomes a core layer of national defense, protecting not just systems and infrastructure, but the collective mindset of society.

Action Layer