“Disinformation vulnerability,” i.e., vulnerability to inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information is oftentimes a byproduct of asymmetric information.  Such inaccurate, misleading or incomplete information may be disseminated innocently or by design.  The “degree” of vulnerability is a function of:  the perceived or real expertise of the information provider; the importance to the recipient of the subject matter to which the information relates; and ready access to alternative sources of reliable information.  Information disseminated by a perceived or real expert on a subject of high importance with a lack of alternative sources of reliable information increases the chances of being disinformation vulnerability. 

The recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is an example of circumstances that can lead to disinformation vulnerability.  The public is continually being bombarded by information concerning to outbreak.  Some of the information comes from reliable sources, some from less than reliable but well-meaning sources and some from less than well-meaning sources looking to profit from fear.  For example, both Trend Micro and Norton, two leading information technology security firms, have reported Coronavirus themed spam, phishing attempts and fake product sites.  The potential for gain in exploiting vulnerability raises the chances that a bad actor will take the opportunity to do so.

One strategy to reduce the risk of disinformation vulnerability is to make sure that information is coming from a reliable source or preferably sources.  In the case of the COVID-19 outbreak there are a number of widely regarded institutions in the field of public health that can be consulted and can aid in determining a how to respond to the associated risks.

Following are some internationally recognized expert institutions in the field of public health:

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH):  A part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is the largest biomedical research agency in the world.  NIH’s website is: https://www.nih.gov/.
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):   One of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health, NAID conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.  NAID’s website is: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  The CDC works to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S.  The CDC’s website is: https://www.cdc.gov/.
• The World Health Organization (WHO):  An autonomous organization working with the United Nations on issues related to public health.  WHO’s website is: https://www.who.int/.
• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; (ECDC):  An agency of the European Union the ECDC’s mission is analogous to that of the CDC. The ECDC’s website is: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en.
• Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/.