During the final event of DisInfoHack 2026 at Sofia University’s GATE Institute, Caretaker Electronic Governance Minister Georgi Sharkov emphasized that timely response and accurate situational assessment are paramount in the current environment of cyber threats and information influence operations. The Minister stated that the RESIST model—which encompasses threat recognition, early warning, and situational assessment—forms the basis for countermeasures. While initially developed for the information sphere, this approach is now being applied broadly to cybersecurity and hybrid operations.
Minister Sharkov stressed that modern risks extend beyond technical cyberattacks to include content manipulation and public opinion influence campaigns. He noted that the primary objective of such actions is often to affect public consciousness, which he described as a critical infrastructure. He outlined that Bulgaria maintains a national cyber situational center coordinating various bodies, including the Ministry of Electronic Governance, the Interior Ministry, the State Agency for National Security, and the Defence Ministry.
These institutions are actively working to counter disinformation, particularly concerning electoral processes and critical infrastructure. A key challenge identified was the transition from analysis to real-time operational action. “It is not enough to understand how something happened months later; we must be able to react in real time,” the Minister stated.
He expressed confidence that initiatives like DisInfoHack enhance skills for early identification of disinformation and understanding complex hybrid scenarios. The Minister called for heightened cooperation among scientific bodies, experts, and institutions to build resilience. DisInfoHack is part of the CoDE project, which aims to study the information environment in Bulgaria to summarize effective counteraction tools.
Ultimately, effective defense against modern information challenges requires strong coordination across all levels of national governance.
Topics: #assessment #governance #minister
