[noohshamsie]

“A Sybil attack is an attempt to control a peer network by creating multiple fake identities. To outside observers, these fake identities appear to be unique users. However, behind the scenes, a single entity controls many identities at once. As a result, that entity can influence the network through additional voting power in a democratic network, or echo chamber messaging in a social network.

The United States’ recent trouble with Russian election influence via fake accounts on social media is an easy-to-understand example of a pseudo-Sybil attack. Although the fake accounts and bots didn’t hack into Facebook or Twitter, they still used multiple identities to influence the entire network. Because Sybil attacks are so subversive and easy to conceal, it can be difficult to tell when a single entity controls many accounts. Indeed, Facebook didn’t even realize the extent of fake accounts on their platform until internal investigations months after much of the damage was already done.”

BENNETT GARNER

[Author]

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