In March 2025, the European External Action Service (EEAS) released its third major report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), unveiling a new analytical model known as the FIMI Exposure Matrix.
With the aid of this new analysis tool, analysts, policymakers, and civil society actors can categorise information channels according to how closely they are linked to malign influence campaigns. Through the implementation of a more defined and expandable approach to attribution, the Matrix seeks to enhance predictive analysis and provide targeted, proportionate reactions to disinformation threats.
The FIMI Exposure Matrix builds on recent research from ADAC.io, drawing directly on two of its latest deliverables. The first component is the updated version of the NATO StratCom CoE and Hybrid CoE Attribution Framework for Information Influence Operations. The other report that was drawn upon is the Field Guide for Open-Source Investigators and Researchers that evaluates critical challenges and decision-making principles in open-source attribution investigations.
Published in February 2025, these reports offer a valuable foundation for the Exposure Matrix and highlight the role of interdisciplinary, research-driven approaches in addressing complex digital threats. Their integration into the EEAS framework demonstrates the growing significance of ADAC.io’s work toward forming EU-level information resilience strategies.