Glossary term
Kompromat
Definition
Compromising material held or released to coerce or discredit — genuine, fabricated or a mixture, which is what makes the release itself the operation.
See also
Hack-and-leak
An operation that steals private material through a cyber intrusion and then releases it, often selectively and timed for maximum political effect.
Forgery
A fabricated document presented as authentic — historically the workhorse of influence operations, and still effective when it reaches publication before verification.
Active measures
The Soviet and Russian term for operations to shape another state’s politics — forgery, front organisations and placement, of which today’s online work is continuous.
Published September 22, 2026
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