THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION SECURITY IN SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: SECURITY DIMENSION OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Relevance of the problem. In the 21st century, along with the rapid growth of new technologies and the spread of the internet, new opportunities for communication have emerged. This issue has become particularly relevant and popular for people who communicate at a distance. With the growing popularity of communication on the “network,” various platforms for such communication began to appear. Initially, these were forums, chats, and other platforms. But in 2004, when American student Mark Zuckerberg created the first globally popular social network Facebook, everything changed fundamentally. With the growing popularity of this social network, it developed further, and engineers developed more and more functionality for it. On the basis of Facebook, it became possible to create separate thematic pages, groups, and search for acquaintances around the world. Over time, this social network became popular among a very significant number of people worldwide. After this, thanks to its wide functionality, politicians, fraudsters, and special services of various world governments became interested in it. With the expansion of the social network’s functionality and its growing popularity worldwide, various scientists and world special services began to study its capabilities. Due to the ability to “reach out” to every user on this social network and target (project) a wide variety of message-messages to them, Facebook (and later other social networks) became a dangerous tool of manipulation and influence in the hands of skilled specialists from special services of different countries worldwide. The world-renowned company Cambridge Analytica was accused of interfering in elections worldwide by stealing personal data of potential voters on social networks and manipulating their opinions using special information technologies. A significant portion of the data was obtained by Cambridge Analytica from Facebook. The information scandal regarding the possible illegal use of personal data by Cambridge Analytica emerged in 2017 after Donald Trump’s unexpected victory in the US presidential race for many experts. Media investigators revealed a connection between Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, and members of newly elected US President Donald Trump’s team. In March 2018, global mass media published the results of several more investigations that shed light on the nature of Cambridge Analytica’s research and the transfer of private data of numerous Facebook users to the company. Currently, the functionality of this social network, and many other popular social networks, has become much broader and more powerful than it was 7 years ago, and therefore social networks have begun to pose an even greater danger. And this applies not only to individual users as individual units. The comprehensive approach of hostile special services now poses a threat to the national security of individual states as a whole. It is through popular social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Telegram, and others that special services manipulate people’s consciousness worldwide, organizing and conducting so-called IPSOs (information psychological special operations) through social networks. Social networks are a very important tool in the hands of special services for conducting IPSOs. This is due to the prevalence and popularity of social networks, as well as the relative cheapness of such platforms compared to other channels of information dissemination. Goal. To analyze the developments of Ukrainian and world scientists in the field of mass communications and social networks research, as well as through real examples, to study the methods and algorithms of applying enemy information attacks, in which it threatens national security, particularly Ukraine, through its IPSOs. Methods. Within the framework of this scientific article, such research methods as analysis, synthesis, observation, empirical knowledge, and comparison were used. Research results. The final goal of this scientific research should be the preparation of a manual of methodological recommendations for the average consumer of information services (social network user) and possibly special service employees, where a clear algorithm (course on information security and information hygiene) will be developed, with the help of which it will be possible to learn how not to become another victim of hostile IPSOs.