Method of determining critical information sources in the global Internet network

Abstract

One of the important segments of the media system in modern conditions is a set of Internet sources. The results of sociological research showed that the number of Internet users continuously increases. The most popular network access devices were mobile phones and tablets. This allowed us to expand the range of services provided through the global network. Consumers of information from the Internet increasingly trust it: first of all, the mass media and social networks. This feature is used, inter alia, for manipulative purposes during the conduct of information wars and attacks to suggest false information to users. The work of the media system involves a complex process of bringing information messages in various formats to almost any person without external participation. In this case, for the functioning of the Internet media, usually, it is necessary only to create and maintain a site that doesn't require significant financial costs, as for traditional media.  The server can be located anywhere in the world and registering as a mass media requires an application and a little bit of money.  Such conditions of creation and functioning allow exerting external influence on the work of the mass media system on the Internet. In this paper, the stability of mass media sources is investigated and proposed a method that can identify unstable sources, which are likely to be used as a tool for manipulating people minds during information wars. There are 4 types of processes occurring with information sources during their life cycle: the source publication process was almost unchanged, a rapid decrease in the number of publications by the source almost to its stop, the short-term increase in the number of publications by the source, the increase in the number of publications by the source, which was held on a permanent basis.