Grey Dynamics

Former CIA ops officer John Atwell discusses post-9/11 culture shift, admiration for international intelligence agencies, rise of non-state actors in intelligence, and advice for aspiring intelligence professionals. Reveals insights on working with spouse at CIA, opting out of private sector, and the importance of diverse experiences in intelligence roles.

Retired DIA officer and scholar Kevin Riehle dives into the history and functions of the Russian FSB, discussing its evolution under Putin. The podcast also covers topics like Ukrainian Orthodox Church independence, counterintelligence, effective communication skills in intelligence analysis, and personal anecdotes of a KGB-CIA trained officer.

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. Today, we are trying something new! This is the first episode of Editor's Notes, where we keep you updated on what we're up to. We'll be discussing the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School, future podcast guests, our new website and what I'm reading. Enjoy!Related Links:Grey Dynamics Intelligence School University of Salford QUALITY CPD (QCPD) Accreditation Kevin Riehle - The Russian FSBAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be out there very soon. Meanwhile, you can sign up and be the first to know when we launch, plus get exclusive tips and offers.Get access to exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsWith security clearance, you can take a crucial role in our intelligence community. As a cleared member, you get access to secret & top secret grade publications. If you are a Top Secret holder, you also get access to our community area, where you can interact with other members and with our analysts! Subscribe today!The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!Grey Dynamics YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Google Podcast Amazon Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drew Biemer, a strategic management and communications professional, discusses dark money in US politics, interference in other countries' elections, psychological micro-targeting using social media, and the potential impact of TikTok on elections. They also share cultural recommendations and discuss their current reading habits.

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today, we are talking to Curtis Fox, former Green Beret, author, graduate of Georgetown University and currently a program manager. His book 'Hybrid Warfare: The Russian Approach To Strategic Competition & Conventional Military Conflict' is out now. We discussed some of the fascinating topics covered in it. Including how Russia has applied hybrid warfare in Ukraine since 2014, the collapse of effective cooperation between the FSB and GRU, as well as the destruction of Russia's special forces capability.Disclaimer: All of Curtis Fox's opinions are his own and do not reflect the policy of the US Department of Defense or the US Government.Find Curtis:LinkedInHybrid Warfare: The Russian Approach To Strategic Competition & Conventional Military ConflictWe spoke about:0:55 - Why Curtis chose to join the Green Berets4:26 - Deployments during the war on terror as part of 10th Special Forces Group5:15 - Experiencing other cultures6:23 - Observations on Somalia13:01 - The legacy of French colonialism and Wagner’s activities in the Sahel22:00 - Historical Russian strategy and hybrid warfare32:38 - Did Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy work in Ukraine from 2014?41:31 - The GRU, Salisbury and being cut out of planning for the 2022 invasion48:09 - The FSB’s botched invasion plan and feeding the Kremlin bad intelligence56:29 - The future of Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy and destruction of their special forces capability1:00:27 - Could Serbia use Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy themselves?1:04:26 - Does the West underestimate the Iranians?1:10:00 - Career advice for young people, including those looking to join special forces1:13:58 - Advice to those looking to write a book1:15:57 - How Grey Dynamics decides what topics to cover1:21:24 - Cultural recommendationsAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be out there very soon. Meanwhile, you can sign up and be the first to know when we launch, plus get exclusive tips and offers.Get access to exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsWith security clearance, you can take a crucial role in our intelligence community. As a cleared member, you get access to secret & top secret grade publications. If you are a Top Secret holder, you also get access to our community area, where you can interact with other members and with our analysts! Subscribe today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week we are talking to Michael Blicher Soerensen. Michael is a veteran of the Danish army, specialising in electronic warfare and SIGINT. He is currently a global security site lead at Meta. We discussed what makes a good analyst, deploying to Iraq, corporate intelligence and much more. Enjoy!Find MichaelLinkedInWe spoke about:2:40 - Michael's background5:15 - Opportunities after working in SIGINT and Electronic Warfare9:17 - Killings your darlings10:40 - Adjusting to work outside of the army14:09 - Learning to build rapport with collegues in the workplace16:22 - What makes a good intelligence analyst20:21 - Discovering new career opportunities and staying open minded24:49 - Michael’s experience on deployment28:17 - Michael's experience working with allied intelligence counterparts32:07 - Commentary on how training and background can heavily influence analyst’s perspectives36:32 - Tailoring intelligence to the consumers needs and creating valuable products38:08 - Issues in the field of OSINT48:30 - Intelligence professionals being able to educate consumers on intelligence can and cannot do51:30 - Competing with other internal and external intelligence professionals in the corporate world1:01:50 - Lack of Tactical intelligence in the private sector1:03:24 - Intelligence products currently consumed by in the corporate world1:05:47 - Cultural RecommendationsAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!Sign up to the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS) for Top Instructors, Practical Skills, and Real-World Application.We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be out there very soon. Meanwhile, you can sign up and be the first to know when we launch, plus get exclusive tips and offers.Get access to exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsWith security clearance, you can take a crucial role in our intelligence community. As a cleared member, you get access to secret & top secret grade publications. If you are a Top Secret holder you also get access to our community area, where you can interact with other members and with our analysts! Subscribe today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week, we are talking to Mack! Mack is a former British Army Infantryman and Team Leader. He then went on to be recruited as an Intelligence Officer in the tri-service Defence Human Intelligence Unit (DHU). After leaving the armed forces, Mack became a recruiter. Spending some time working in the Private Equity space, before joining cyber specialists Trident Search, where he is now. We discussed transitioning from infantry to intelligence, Mack's time in DHU combatting the Islamic State, the importance of culture in the work environment and much more.Find Mack:LinkedInWe spoke about:0:33 - Mack’s background 6:02 - Bridging the gap between the military and the private sector 9:20 - Upskilling for veterans 10:14 - Lack of consensus on intelligence job titles 12:52 - Intelligence as a function constantly having to prove its worth 16:05 - Mack’s time in the infantry and transition to intelligence  19:14 - Mack’s first tour as DHU 21:00 - Advice to people wanting to join DHU 23:07 - Referencing for employers as intelligence professionals and veterans 24:44 - Moving directly from the military to private equity 26:14 - The importance of culture in a workplace 29:41 - Moving to different countries to offer services 31:51 - Considering culture when recruiting 34:04 - What long-term career advice would Mack give to those looking to join the armed forces 37:05 - Getting into cyber as a route into intelligence 39:18 - Salary ranges in intelligence and cyber 45:02 - Mack asks Ahmed where he sees Grey Dynamics 2-3 years 50:14 - Cultural recommendations  54:34 - Final thoughtsAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!Sign up to the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS) for Top Instructors, Practical Skills, and Real-World Application.We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be out there very soon. Meanwhile, you can sign up and be the first to know when we launch, plus get exclusive tips and offers.Get access to exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsWith security clearance, you can take a crucial role in our intelligence community. As a cleared member, you get access to secret & top secret grade publications. If you are a Top Secret holder you also get access to our community area, where you can interact with other members and with our analysts! Subscribe today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! This week, we are talking to a risk management expert in the humanitarian sector. E. has previously worked in the military and private security sector in many countries and conflict zones. We'll discuss the opportunities presented during crisis, how humanitarian NGOs use intelligence and the complexity of navigating the current information space.We spoke about:0:00 - Intro and E's background 5:13 - Getting into humanitarian security 7:26 - How the private sector can learn to see risk as an opportunity 9:00 - Why is the private sector so conservative with risk 14:23 - Is there space for the private and humanitarian sector to work closer together 16:50 - Does the humanitarian sector have anything to learn from the private sector in terms of their approach to security 19:17 - How organisations such as humanitarian NGOs can use intelligence to support their operations 21:01 - Overcoming the stigma associated with intelligence in the humanitarian sector 24:39 - How unhelpful the mystification of intelligence is 28:54 - How has OSINT impacted the humanitarian sector? 32:25 - How do humanitarian organisations navigate the complexity of the current information domain 40:31 - What are some of the tools and techniques E uses for his work 45:23 - Advice on getting into security risk management in the humanitarian sector 47:31 - What keeps E up at night 53:29 - The emerging weaponisation of refugees 59:32 - Cultural recommendationsAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!Sign up to the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS) for Top Instructors, Practical Skills, and Real-World Application.We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be out there very soon. Meanwhile, you can sign up and be the first to know when we launch, plus get exclusive tips and offers.Get access to exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsWith security clearance, you can take a crucial role in our intelligence community. As a cleared member, you get access to secret & top secret grade publications. If you are a Top Secret holder you also get access to our community area, where you can interact with other members and with our analysts! Subscribe today!The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!Grey Dynamics YouTube Spotify Apple Podcast Google Podcast Amazon Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast for season 3! We're kicking things off with a fascinating guest today, Pasha Munro. Pasha served as a Royal Marine Mountain Leader and Special Boat Service operator as part of UKSF in the British Armed Forces. Today, he is the director of operations at the private security company Black Box Global. Pasha has honed his skills in high-pressure environments, where precision, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence are paramount. His extensive experience in conducting complex operations and mitigating security risks allows him to provide invaluable guidance and leadership in safeguarding organisations and their assets.You can find Pasha Munro on LinkedIn.We spoke about:0:37 - Pasha’s background4:34 - Becoming a Royal Marine9:54 - First time in Special Forces selection12:12 - Becoming a Royal Marine mountain leader and returning to Special Forces selection15:35 - Joining the Special Boat Service (SBS)18:31 - Why Pasha choose the SBS19:18 - Training and earning his keep in the SBS21:25 - Deploying to Afghanistan with the SBS31:13 - Getting back into maritime activities32:32 - The Afghanistan pullout35:11 - Operational scenarios in the SBS37:32 - The psychological aspect of being in the water38:55 - Life after the SBS, office life and close protection43:27 - Black Box Global46:33 - Mentoring and advice49:17 - Being able to switch off50:52 - Advice to young peopleAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!Sign up to the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS) for Top Instructors, Practical Skills, and Real-World Application.We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be out there very soon. Meanwhile, you can sign up and be the first to know when we launch, plus get exclusive tips and offers.Get access to exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsWith security clearance, you can take a crucial role in our intelligence community. As a cleared member, you get access to secret & top secret grade publications. If you are a Top Secret holder you also get access to our community area, where you can interact with other members and with our analysts! Subscribe today!Follow the Grey Dynamics PodcastPodcast Archive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back to discuss the 2019 reboot of Call of Duty's Modern Warfare series! In this episode we'll be talking about the inspirations for the campaign, the controversies that made headlines, chemical weapons and much more.Make sure to stay tuned for the first episode of season three, coming very soon!You can find Marcel Plichta on:Grey DynamicsLinkedInTwitterYou can find Michael Elmer on:Grey DynamicsLinkedInWe Spoke About:0:00 - Intro1:27 - Context5:54 - Marines vs. Spetsnaz in Kastovia20:26 - The London Attack27:07 - Russian occupation in Urzikstan36:11 - US Marines and CIA search for Al-Qatala38:03 - Storming of the US embassy in Urzikstan44:27 - The Highway of Death49:39 - The flashback 52:20 - Designating the rebels as terrorists and intel briefings58:05 - Second flashback1:00:16 - Clandestine operation in Russia and going to get General Barkov in Moldova1:09:25 - SummaryRelated ArticlesThe Wagner Group: The World’s Most Infamous PMCThe KSSO: Russia’s Special Operations CommandCIA Special Activities Center: The Third OptionMARSOC Marine Raiders: Always Faithful, Always ForwardSCO19: The ‘Trojans’ of LondonPrevious Call of Duty Podcast EpisodesEpisode 17: Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare, an Intelligence perspectiveEpisode 18: Call of Duty Modern Warfare, an Intelligence Perspective (Pt. 2)Episode 19: Call of Duty Modern Warfare, an Intelligence Perspective (Pt. 3)Sign up for the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS)Sign Up HereSubscribe for Exclusive Grey Dynamics ReportsSubscribe Here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.