How a CIA Analyst Spots Fake News

By Cindy Otis

Cindy L. Otis is the Vice President of Analysis for Alethea Group, a disinformation investigations and remediation firm, and is an expert on disinformation threat analysis and countermessaging. She is also a Senior non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab and an Associate at Argonne National Lab. Prior to this, she served in the CIA as a military analyst, intelligence briefer, and a manager in the Directorate of Intelligence. While at the CIA, she specialized in security issues in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.  She is the author of True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Identifying and Fighting Fake News.

Ever wonder how a CIA Analyst spots fake news? A new book out today by former CIA Analyst Cindy Otis, True or False:  A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News takes a crack at sharing the kind of analytical thinking that helps you know what you’re reading online and on your social media channels. The Cipher Brief spoke with Otis about the current state of disinformation, how it’s being used to affect national security, and how you can spot it.

Our conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

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