Zaur GOULIEV 

Doctoral Researcher at ADAPT Centre, Science Foundation Ireland and PhD student at University College Dublin. My research focuses on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), examining state-sponsored influence operations, hybrid threats, and cyber threat intelligence. With a background in security, law enforcement crime analysis, and AI engineering, my work aims to strengthen detection and response strategies for mitigating cyber enabled threats. 

Area of Expertise: Disinformation, Cybercrime Networks, Hybrid Threats

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6588-6945

Disinformation-as-a-Service: The Emerging High-Risk Criminal Networks of “Influence” Operators

Disinformation-as-a-Service (DaaS) has become increasingly embedded within organised cybercrime networks, incorporating information manipulation services into their broader operations. These cybercriminals commodify deceptive influence operations—once the domain of state-led activities—these networks now blur the boundaries between organised crime, cyber threats, and foreign interference. Drawing on case studies such as the Russian-backed Doppelgänger campaign, we show how DaaS providers advanced techniques (e.g., cloned media sites, geofencing, AI-generated content) to intensify social divisions, undermine trust in democratic institutions, and facilitate public disorder. The paper situates disinformation campaigns within the broader nexus of cybercrime, extortion, and election interference, demonstrating their adaptation to varying geopolitical contexts.

We combine empirical data and incident analyses to highlight the operational sophistication, strategic agility, profit, and ideological motives that drive DaaS integration into organised crime networks. Furthermore, we explore how these threats overwhelm conventional investigative capacities, emphasising the need for multidisciplinary responses. In light of emerging EU initiatives, we propose strategies for bolstering cross-border law enforcement cooperation, enhancing regulatory frameworks, and strengthening societal resilience. To our knowledge, little research has been done on this domain and highlights the pressing imperative to counter these hybrid threats that fuse disinformation, cyber intrusions, and criminal opportunism in Europe’s high-risk security environment.