ADAPT Research Ireland Centre and University College Dublin researcher, Zaur Gouliev, won the Excellence in Law Enforcement Research Award at the CEPOL Research and Science Conference (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training) this year.
Zaur, representing UCD’s School of Information & Communication Studies and ADAPT, was recognised for his study Disinformation-as-a-Service (DaaS): The Emerging High-Risk Criminal Networks of Influence Operators. The research exposes how disinformation has become a commercialised service within cybercriminal ecosystems, posing a pressing internal security challenge for European Law enforcement.
The presentation introduced the concept of “influence operators” and mapped their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), linking the findings to Horizon Europe projects VIGILANT and ATHENA, where ADAPT researchers are involved in strengthening Europe’s defences against disinformation and foreign information manipulation.
Law enforcement representatives from across the EU, including Ireland’s An Garda Síochána, recognised the study’s operational relevance for training, strategic planning, and cross-border intelligence cooperation.
