Description

Please join us for the HTCIA Silicon Valley Virtual Chapter Meeting. Cost is FREE to all HTCIA members.

Wednesday, Apr 8, 2026
10:00 am Pacific Time / 1:00 pm Eastern Time / 18:00 GMT
Virtual Meeting

Event Title:
SV Chapter Virtual Event:
"Sports As Politics - Russia’s Disinformation Efforts in Soft Power Contexts"

Presented by:
Dr Natasia Kalajdziovski, Senior Intelligence Analyst
Sam Collard, Senior Intelligence Analyst
SecAlliance, part of the CSIS Security Group, UK

Presenter Bio(s):
Dr Natasia Kalajdziovski is an innovative and resourceful subject matter expert with significant experience in the security and defence field, in both practitioner and academic roles. Currently, she is both a senior threat intelligence analyst at SecAlliance and an independent researcher based in London, UK

Sam Collard is a Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst with over a decade of experience in open-source intelligence (OSINT), counter-terrorism, and disinformation analysis. Currently leading disinformation detection efforts at SecAlliance, Sam has authored numerous tactical reports on influence operations targeting international clients. He previously served as a Subject Matter Expert on Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism within UK Counter Terrorism Policing, where he led OSINT investigations and advised law enforcement on emerging threats.

Presentation Description:
Sport has long been a potent stage for international and ideological contest. Throughout its history, Russia has used global sporting events not merely as a matter of national pride but as tools for influence, disruption, and international posturing.

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics exemplified this strategy: a coordinated campaign of digital manipulation, reactive propaganda, and hybrid influence operations in pursuit of wider geopolitical goals.

In this analysis, we explore how the Kremlin treated the Milano-Cortina Games not just as a sporting event, but as a strategic opportunity to weaken public trust in Western institutions, stoke societal tensions, and assert ideological counter-narratives. Through disinformation, cyber influence, and memetic warfare, Russia exploited global attention to advance its geopolitical objectives.

Register Now
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtce-srz0qE9Z0mLh2L14s61r_LN5axvnz