Securing Democracies
Defending Against Cyber Attacks and Disinformation in the Digital Age

This book explores both sides of securing democracies – protecting elections and building trust in institutions by managing disinformation.

Scott J. Shackelford (Edited by), Frédérick Douzet (Edited by), Christopher Ankersen (Edited by)

9781009574136, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 January 2026

412 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.774 kg

Securing Democracies examines the attacks on voting processes and the broader informational environment in which elections take place. The volume's global cadre of scholars and practitioners highlight the interconnections among efforts to target vulnerable democratic systems and identify ways to prevent, defend against, and mitigate their effects on both the technical and the informational aspects of cybersecurity. The work takes a wider view of defending democracy by recognizing that both techniques—attacking infrastructure and using misinformation and disinformation—are means to undermine trust and confidence in democratic institutions. As such, the book proposes a wide range of policy responses to tackle these cyber-enabled threats focusing on the geopolitical front lines, namely Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

1. Introduction [strategic/three regional hot spots]
Part I. Challenges to Democratic Institutions: 2. Hacking elections: contemporary developments in historical perspective Andy Grotto and Ash Narayan
3. From free speech to false speech: analyzing foreign online disinformation campaigns targeting democracies Rachel Brooks
4. Cyber challenges to democracy and soft power's dark side Renee Marlin-Bennett
5. Cyber disinformation risk perception and control: integration of the extended theory of planned behavior and a structural equation model Małgorzata Pańkowska and Ioana Vasiu
Part II. Case Studies: 6. Innovative frontrunner or delayed by political gridlock? Israel's attempts at countering disinformation Inga Trauthig and Gabrielle Beacken
7. Israel information strategies and maneuvers David Amsellem
8. Ukraine's support coalition and the long (Info) war: mitigating the disinformation threat to democratic collaboration Jaclyn A. Kerr
9. Weapons of mass derision: humor and democracy: Russia case study Maria Shardakova et al.
10. Election cyber threats in Central Asia: a multistakeholder approach to tackling election interference and increasing resilience Pavlina Pavlova
11. Stacking up for resilience – DPI: the India way Ravi Nayyar
12. The domestication of cybersecurity in authoritarian regime: China's media narrative on cybersecurity and its challenge to democracy Jun Liu
13. Defending Taiwan's democracy in the internet commons Simon Sun
Part III. Policy Responses: 14. Some truths about lies-misinformation and inequality in policy making and politics Lindsay Flynn and Barbara Allen
15. Getting a grip on disinformation: from distrust to trust within learning communities Deike Shulz et al.

Subject Areas: IT & Communications law [LNQ]