VIGILANT was presented at the EPIC 2025 conference, held last week in Stavern, Norway. Representing the project was Neill Bo Finlayson from TNO, who shared recent research developments and practical tools emerging from VIGILANT.
The presentation focused on the project’s main theoretical output - the C5 Interaction Model - alongside two practical tools: the Impact Analysis Tool and the Disinformation Intervention Framework.
“The academic literature on disinformation is vast and somewhat disjointed. That’s why we created the C5 Model. It is a first step in creating a truly multi-disciplinary conceptual model that provides a comprehensive yet practical explanation of the “why?”, “how?” and “who?” questions about disinformation.”
– Neill Bo Finlayson
Attendees were introduced to real-life case studies demonstrating how the C5 model and related tools can be used in operational contexts to analyse harmful information flows and guide effective interventions.
“Almost every week there is something in the news that reminds us of the threat of disinformation to society. Yet, we rarely talk about the underlying social and psychological drivers of the phenomenon. We feel that the C5 Model provides an understanding of these fundamental dynamics in the creation, spread and effects of disinformation.”
A peer-reviewed paper on the C5 Interaction Model was published recently, further validating its relevance to contemporary security challenges. The article is available to read here.