Information threats and protection algorithms were discussed in Nizhny Novgorod.

      On April 28, 2026, at 11:38, Society At the site of the Nizhny Novgorod Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, a lecture by the Knowledge Society was held on the topic "Working Tools of Critical Thinking." The speaker from the educational organization was Roman Permyakov, Deputy Chairman of the Public Chamber of Nizhny Novgorod, member of RAPK, and expert at EISI. About 600 cadets and police officers participated in the event, for whom issues of information security have not only theoretical but also direct practical significance.

      During the presentation, the lecturer focused in detail on the problem of the spread of false information in the modern digital space. Key topics included methods for recognizing fake news, algorithms for countering manipulations, and analyzing the threats posed by deepfakes and hybrid information attacks. Roman Permyakov emphasized that information attacks, due to their covert nature, pose a danger to national security.

      "Fakes are aimed at creating tension in society, discrediting state institutions, and undermining trust in authority, provoking panic and creating additional pressure on law enforcement agencies. Any terrorist act begins with the preparation of the information field, manipulation of public consciousness, and recruitment. Unfortunately, we see the fruits of this work—the informational soil for crimes is created, including by fake news. The enemy understands perfectly: it is impossible to defeat Russia from the outside with military force, so it constantly tries to destabilize the situation from within, using modern information technologies," emphasized Roman Permyakov during his speech.

      The lecturer provided statistics illustrating the dynamics of the growth of disinformation. In 2021, about 1,700 unique fakes were recorded, while from 2022 to 2024, their number increased to 4,000. In the first nine months of 2025, an additional growth of 9% was recorded. The peak of the first wave coincided with the beginning of the special military operation, and the current surge in activity is due to the accessibility of artificial intelligence technologies. The expert noted that the increase in the number of fakes is synchronized with the rise in cybercrime, indicating that these processes are managed from unified centers as elements of a hybrid war against Russia. It was noted that the analytical center "G.U.R.U." regularly records deepfakes involving regional leaders, including the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin—such videos are promptly refuted by regional governments and "Centers for Regional Management."

      The lecturer paid special attention to the evolution of information threats in 2026—so-called "hybrid fakes." Today, manipulation is not constructed as a single fake post but as a complex operation. It combines fake texts, photos, videos, and fake accounts that spread emotional appeals. This has led to the emergence of synthesized "self-propelled" virtual blogger neural networks and digital avatars that imitate real personalities, communicate independently with subscribers, and disseminate disinformation, which users often accept at face value.

      Roman Permyakov discussed with the audience recent fakes about police work, including those spread in Nizhny Novgorod, and presented the algorithm "5 Questions of Critical Thinking" and "Red Flags" that allow recognizing lies before they cause harm.

      "We discussed modern legislation and the measures that the state is taking to combat fakes—shared an example of the work of the Centers for Regional Management. Today, when neural networks already generate more content than humans, the skill of critical thinking is perhaps one of the most important qualities of a person in the new information age," emphasized the lecturer.

      The event was part of the educational project Knowledge.State. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.