SpyCast cover image

SpyCast

Latest episodes

undefined
Jun 14, 2022 • 55min

SPY CHIEFS: “From Navy Analyst to State Dept. Intelligence Chief” – Ellen McCarthy’s Journey (Part 1 of 2)

SummaryEllen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Department’s intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.What You’ll LearnIntelligence Her start as a Soviet submarine analyst in the Office of Naval Intelligence  Bringing the U.S. Coast Guard intel. program into the Intelligence Community (IC)  Working for DoD and Geospatial-Intelligence Why she admires the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)  Reflections Government/for-profit/non-profit life Managing complexity and change  And much, much more…Episode NotesImagine seeing a pyramid from different angles and different heights instead of from one vantage point? You get a better sense of what it truly looks like, its dimensions, colors, idiosyncrasies, and the shadows it casts, right?Ellen McCarthy has seen more of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) pyramid than most: she started as a junior analyst for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence and ended up as the head of the State Dept.’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). Along the way, she was with the U.S. Coast Guard, in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, and at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Quite the journey, I am sure you will agree…And…INR has been called the “biggest little intelligence shop in town” and its morning intelligence summary, “Better than Wheaties.” The NYT called it the “least wrong” intelligence agency on Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and it has been credited for a more accurate assessment of Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russia than its peers. “They get paid attention to because they’re good and they tend to be contrarian,” notes a former chair of the National Intelligence Council. How do they manage this? Well, big question, but the deep, deep expertise of their staff – who are on average on their regional or functional area for over a decade – as well as an “intolerance for mediocrity” would be good places to start.Quote of the Week"The Geographer of the United States sits in INR. I don't think a lot of people know that. So, when there's a boundary dispute or you've got countries trying to build islands, it's INR that's actually working what the legal boundaries are. The other thing that INR does that a lot of folks don't know about is polling. Polling in the intelligence community is conducted at INR…And I will tell you that the polling capability at INR is the best I've ever seen." – Ellen McCarthy Resources*SpyCasts* “State Department Intelligence: Inside the INR” – INR Leadership (2020)Beginner Resources Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Wikipedia [webpage] Learn About the Smallest Organization in the IC, YouTube (n.d.) [1:45 minute] Geographer of the United States, YouTube, (2011) [13:24 minute] Books “Intelligence Informs Policymaking at DoS: INR,” T. King in T. Juneau, ed. Strategic Analysis in Support of Policymaking, R&L (2017), pp. 95-110. Reducing Uncertainty: Intelligence Analysis & National Security, T. Fingar, SUP (2011) INR, Intelligence & Research at State, U.S. DoS (1973) Article The U.S. Intelligence Community Needs a ‘Wild Bill’ Moment, E. McCarthy & M. Scott, Cipher Brief (2021)Video SPYCHAT: Ellen McCarthy & Chris Costa, YouTube (2021) The New IC: Ellen McCarthy Keynote, YouTube (2019) FedMentor: NGA’s Ellen McCarthy, YouTube (2014) Primary Sources INR: 2025 Strategic Plan (2022) Oral History with Teresita Schaeffer (1998) Oral History with Thomas F. Conlon (1992) Oral History with Frank Burnet, (1990) Oral History with Daniel Zachary (1989) *Wildcard Resource* The Ralph J. Bunche Library State Dept. Library named after OSS intelligence analyst, diplomat & Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Bunche Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
Jun 7, 2022 • 1h 3min

SPY CHIEFS: Director-General of Security Mike Burgess - ASIO, Australia & America

 SummaryMike Burgess (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his agency and the enduring strength of Australia’s alliances. ASIO is the second intelligence agency he has directed.What You’ll LearnIntelligence The Australian idea of “mateship” in the intelligence context The Australian intelligence landscape  The United States as its most important strategic alliance The enduring value and historical uniqueness of the FIVE EYES alliance Reflections How Man. Utd. might help us understand leadership The frustrations of watching spy fiction on TV as a practitioner  And much, much more…Episode NotesThe top job: what is it like? what are the joys and pains of leadership? This is not like leading a business, though, or a soccer team, this is protecting the country and its citizens from terrorism, espionage, sabotage, and external interference. Such is the charge of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO).To address these questions, Andrew sat down with Mike Burgess, who was formerly the Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), comparable to GCHQ and the NSA – an agency would serve in for over 20 years. They also discussed the Australian intelligence landscape and its most important alliances, such as the U.S. and FIVE EYES and some of its important regional relationships. And…Mike and Andrew hit it off, especially when discussing Alex Ferguson and how soccer can help us understand management and leadership. Ferguson won more titles in soccer than any other manager, at 49, and he is generally considered the GOAT or a strong contender. Of course, trophies are extremely important, but they do not capture everything. If you are looking for an example of transformational change of an entire organization and its subsequent culture, HBS could do a lot worse than draft a case study on the legendary leadership of Liverpool F.C. by Bill Shankly. He made people believe.Quote of the WeekTalking about FIVE EYES, that's one of those foundational partnerships in our relationships…It's unique because…it was born through WWII. It's an interesting phenomenon because it started its life as a signals intelligence relationship…at its core, it's an intelligence relationship that really has made a difference to each of those five nations’ respective national security…And we do trust each other, and we share our most intimate secrets.Resources*SpyCasts* “Keeping Secrets/Disclosing Secrets” – with Spy Chief turned DG of Australia’s National Archives David Fricker (2022) “Desperately, Madly in Love” – Brett Peppler and the Australian IC (2021) Beginner Resources Australian Intelligence Community, Wikipedia [webpage] Australian Security and Intelligence Organization (ASIO) [Website] Why I Spy, M. Burgess, YouTube (n.d.) [60 second video] Intelligence Professionals FAQ, ASIO, YouTube (n.d.) [2:32 minute video] Virtual Exhibition Spy: Espionage in Australia (NAA)Books Spies & Sparrows: ASIO & the Cold War, P. Deery (2022) Between Five Eyes, A. Wells (2020) Intelligence & the Function of Government, D. Baldino & E. Crawley (2018) The Official History of ASIO – 3 Volumes, D. Horner, J. Blaxland, R. Crawley (2014/2015/2016) Report Intelligence Oversight: A Comparison of the FIVE EYES Nations, C. Baker et.al., Parliament of Australia (2017) Primary Sources Director-General’s Annual Threat Assessment (2022) Foreign Espionage: An Australian Perspective, ASIS DG (2022) ASIO Internal Message on Vietnam War (1970) Surveillance of the Aarons, Communist Party Australia (1966)  Counterespionage Film, ASIO (1963) Citizenship for former Soviet Spies, Petrovs (1956) *Wildcard Resource* Sydney vs. Melbourne: The Real Canberra Story If you’ve ever wondered why Canberra is the capital… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
May 31, 2022 • 1h 4min

“My Life Looking at Spies & the Media” – with Paul Lashmar

SummaryPaul Lashmar (Twitter, Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss investigative journalism and intelligence. He is a former UK Reporter of the Year. What You’ll LearnIntelligence The similarities and differences between spooks and journalists  The role Watergate played for his generation of journalists  Intelligence overseers as “Ostriches,” “Cheerleaders,” “Lemon-suckers,” or “Guardians” Bellingcat, Spycatcher and the “Zinoviev Letter” Reflections The long shadow of the Second World War Investigative journalism in democratic societies And much, much more…Episode Notes“Cardiac stimulating experiences,” is how this week’s guest describes meeting sources in smoky IRA pubs in Belfast all on his lonesome. But he also met sources in the oak-paneled clubs of Whitehall and in many other places around the world. So, what has our guest distilled from his long career examining intelligence agencies? What are the types of relationships spooks and journalists have had with one another? What are the similarities and differences between both tribes?To answer these questions and more, Andrew sat down with investigative reporter and current Head of the Dept. of Journalism at City, University of London, Paul Lashmar. Paul has worked across the media landscape, as a producer for the BBC, as a broadcast journalist with British current affairs television program World in Action, and as an investigative journalist for the Observer newspaper. He won Reporter of the Year in the 1986 UK Press Awards. He is the author of Spy Flights of the Cold War, Britain’s Secret Propaganda War, and most recently Spies, Spin and the Fourth Estate. And…World in Action was a legendary investigative TV program in the U.K. It’s programming led to the resignation of a Home Secretary, one of the Great Offices of State in the UK; the release of the Birmingham Six, who were wrongfully convicted of planting IRA bombs; and the exposure of Combat-18, a violent neo-Nazi movement. It would also publish the original story of the Spycatcher allegations that the head of MI5 was a Soviet mole and that there had been a joint MI5-MI6 plot to overthrow Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Paul co-wrote that 1984 episode. For all these reasons and more, it was rarely out of the courts. The last series was broadcast in 1998. Quote of the Week"They would meet you in an up-market club in the center of London…it's leather Chesterfields, gentleman walking around getting your gin and tonic. It was all of that, in those days it was all informal…there are now in most newspapers, somebody who is usually appointed by the editor who maintains those connections… it's a sensible arrangement." – Paul LashmarResourcesHeadline Resource Spies, Spin and the Fourth Estate, P. Lashmar (EUP, 2021)*SpyCasts* The Women of NatSec Journalism – 6 Leading Journalists (2017) Covering Intelligence (2015) Part 1: with Mark Mazzetti Part 2 – with Ali Watkins Part 3 – with Greg Miller Books Zinoviev Letter, G. Bennett (OUP, 2020) Spies and the Media in Britain, R. Norton-Taylor (IBT, 2018) Spinning Intelligence, R. Dover and M. Goodman (CUP, 2009) Spycatcher, P. Wright (Viking, 1987) Beginner Articles UK Officials Still Blocking SpyCatcher Files, Guardian (2021) The Zinoviev Letter, FT (2018) When Spy Agencies Didn’t Exist, BBC (2014) Articles Why Good Investigative Journalism Matters (2022) Obituary: Peter Wright, Independent (1995) Documentary “World in Action,” YouTube (n.d.)Primary Sources The Spy Who Never Was [World In Action] (1984) Moscow Orders to Our Reds [Daily Mail Accusation] (1924) Zinoviev Denies Writing Letter (1924) Zinoviev Narrative of Facts [TUC & Labour Party] (1924) *Wildcard Resource* How Bellingcat is Using TikTok to Investigate the War in Ukraine Investigative journalism, Bellingcat style! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
May 24, 2022 • 1h 8min

“Amazon to Darien, Atlantic to Pacific” – Intelligence in Colombia with former Head of its Navy Admiral Hernando Wills

SummaryAdmiral Hernando Wills Velez (Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in Colombia. He is the former professional head of the Colombian Navy.What You’ll LearnIntelligence What it is like to be the head of an entire Navy Intelligence from the point of view of a senior military officer The unique set of challenges Colombia faces – insurgents, terrorists, paramilitaries, drug-cartels, etc. The role intelligence played in the daring Operation Jacque  Reflections The blessings and curses of geography  Capacity building in organizations And much, much more…Episode NotesTo hear more about his remarkable career as former professional head of the Colombian Navy, and to discuss Colombia and intelligence, Andrew sat down with Admiral Hernando Wills Vélez. Colombia and its navy must reckon with a unique combination of challenges – including Marxist insurgents, right-wing paramilitaries, drug cartels, crime syndicates, and a vast and diverse territory. To sum up, it is a remarkably fascinating case-study for the role intelligence might play.Admiral Wills was also the commander of the Pacific Fleet, head of the Colombian Coast Guard, and a former aide de camp to the President of Colombia. His father was a career military officer who served in the Korean War with the Colombian Navy. He is an NDU graduate.And…“Operation Jacque.” This episode coincides with a pop-up exhibit at our museum on a 2008 Colombian intelligence-led operation to rescue 15 hostages held for many years by the FARC, a Marxist guerilla group who were involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and terrorism. 3 Americans and 12 Colombians were rescued, including a candidate for the Colombian presidency. Bottom line: all the hostages were freed from deep within the rainforest without a single shot being fired. Intelligence baby, intelligence. Quote of the Week"Time goes so fast. I joined the Navy when I was 15 years old, very young. I finished high school. in the Naval academy. And then you start your regular business as a young lieutenant in ships and destroyers and positions on land. And all of a sudden, you see yourself as an admiral. I mean, it's a crazy thing…[then] I had the privilege to be selected by the president to lead the Columbia Navy." – former Head of Columbia's Navy Admiral Hernando Wills.ResourcesHeadline Resource “Operation Jacque,” International Spy Museum, Spring-Summer 2022Books Colombia: A Concise Contemporary History, M. Larosa & G. Mejía (R&L, 2017) Out of Captivity: Surviving 1967 Days in the Colombian Jungle, M. Gonsalves, et al. (W. Morrow, 2009) Beginner Articles Colombia Profile – Timeline, BBC (2018) Colombia – CIA World Factbook, CIA (2022) Colombia Marks One Year Anniversary of Jaque, Reuters (2009) Colombia – Navy, Global Security (n.d.) Articles Anchoring the Caribbean: The Colombian Navy, W. Mills, Stable Seas (2021) Colombia & Operation Jacque, L. Collins, Modern War Institute (2021) Plan Colombia and the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group, K. Higgins, Taylor Francis (2021) Plan Colombia: Effectiveness & Costs, D. Mejía, Brookings (2016) Globalization & FARC, J. Forero, USAWC (2013) FARC: A Portrait of Insurgent Intelligence, J. Gentry & D. Spencer, INS (2010) Videos FARC Hostage Rescue Video – Operation Jacque, CBS (2008)Primary Sources Revocation of Terrorist Designation for FARC, A. Blinken, State (2021) Plan Colombia – Staff Trip Report, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2005) Plan Colombia, U.S. Role – Hearing, House Subcommittee on the W. Hemisphere (2000) NSC 1 – Carter Panama Canal Directive (1977) Letter to U.S. Senators From Carter – Panama Canal (1977) *Wildcard Resource* One Hundred years of Solitude (novel), Embrace of the Serpent (movie), or Adventures of an Orchid Hunter (travel memoir) – take your pick! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
May 17, 2022 • 54min

“Peter Earnest Memorial: Spook, CIA Spokesman, Spy Museum Director – [from the vault]

SummaryPeter Earnest spent 35 years in the CIA as a case officer and retired as its chief spokesman. He was the founding Executive Director of the International Spy Museum.What You’ll LearnIntelligence Losing a friend in the line of duty vs. betrayal by a colleague  Using affability to your advantage Thoughts on the shift from classic espionage to counterterrorism for the CIA  The relationship between the CIA, the press and the public Reflections The origins of the International Spy Museum The role museums can play in fostering a sense of collective identity & esprit de corps  And much, much more…Episode NotesMay 21st, 2022. The date of the Memorial Service at the International Spy Museum for Peter Earnest, the founding Executive Director of the museum and a 35-year veteran of the CIA and. In honor of him, his week’s episode is an exit-interview he recorded with my predecessor, Vince Houghton, not long after Peter announced his retirement from the museum.Peter was a case officer at CIA for 25 years, largely in Europe and the Middle East, recruiting and running agents, and getting involved in covert actions, counterespionage, and double agent operations. He later went on to work in the Inspector General’s office and as the CIA’s Senate liaison, concluding his career as the CIA’s chief spokesman. What is it like being a nice guy in the murky world of intelligence? How does a tight-lipped case officer make the transition to chief spokesman? How did a museum on espionage and intelligence end up in Washington D.C.?Peter Earnest died on February 13, 2022. He will be sorely missed.And…Peter wrote the foreword for a 2011 edition of Boy Scout founder Robert Baden-Powell’s classic book, My Adventures as a Spy, featuring chapters such as “Commercial Spying,” “Traitorous Spying,” and “How Spies Disguise Themselves.” The only CIA officer who came through the ranks to become Director, Robert Gates, was an Eagle Scout, as was the only Director of both the CIA and the FBI, Judge William Webster.Quote of the Week"There's a broad respect from museums by the American public they're distrustful of almost everything else, but the trust in museums is high, and so I think it's a place that some of those senior professionals refer to. If they've come down, they feel, it's, doing good work." – Peter EarnestResourcesHeadline ResourceTRIBUTE: CIA Veteran Who Helped Launch the Spy Museum, Dies at 88, International Spy Museum, YouTube (2022)*SpyCasts Peter Earnest: My Life in the CIA (2012)Articles In Memoriam, Peter Earnest, 1934-2022, SPY (2022) CIA Veteran who Ran a Spy Museum, Dies at 88, NYT (2022) CIA Veteran Who Helped Launch Spy Museum, Dies at 88, H. Smith, WaPo (2022) Family of Spies, Washingtonian Magazine (2013) Books The Real Spy’s Guide to Becoming a Spy, P. Earnest (Harper, 2009) Business Confidential: Lessons for Corporate Success from Inside the CIA, P. Earnest & M. Karinch (AMACOM, 2010)  Harry Potter and the Art of Spying, P. Earnest & S. Harper (Wise Ink, 2014) Primary Sources Soviet Defector Arkady Shevchenko Dies, WaPo (1998) Emily A. Earnest, Consular Office Obituary, WaPo (1994) CIA Officer Richard Welch Murdered in Athens, CIA (1975) CIA COS Richard Welch Murdered in Athens, Counterspy Magazine Blamed for his Death, British Pathe (1975) *Wildcard Resource* Colbert Classic, Spy Training with Peter Earnest, Comedy Central (2013) Go to 3:31  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
May 10, 2022 • 55min

“America's Most Damaging Russian Spy, FBI Agent Robert Hanssen" – with Lis Wiehl

SummaryLis Wiehl (Twitter, Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the FBI Agent Robert Hanssen. His espionage for the Russians was described as the “worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history.” What You’ll LearnIntelligence The many contradictions of this fragmented personality The criminal sworn FBI Agent The sexual fetishist in Opus Dei The anti-communist Soviet spy Hanssen’s impact on the FBI and American Intelligence How the Hanssen case effected the FBI-CIA relationship  Reflections Technology’s impact on the espionage/counterespionage cat-and-mouse game Cultural and institutional blind spots And much, much more…Episode NotesThe International Spy Museum has the handcuffs that were put on one of the most notorious spies in American history, former FBI Agent Robert Hanssen. But what was the backstory of the moment those metal restraints closed around his wrists in Foxstone Park, Virginia? What did he do? Why did he do it? Who was this man? What damage did he do?To discuss these questions, Andrew sat down with the author of A Spy in Plain Sight, Lis Wiehl. Lis is a former Federal Prosecutor and a legal analyst and reporter on major news networks, including a 15-year stint at Fox News. She is the best-selling author of 20 fiction and non-fiction books and last but not least she is the daughter of an FBI Agent who heard stories of Hanssen’s betrayal from her father.Hanssen betrayed “jewel in the crown of American intelligence, Dimitri Polyakov, and other U.S. assets, as well as handing over thousands of pages of highly classified information to the Soviet Union and later Russia.And…In the intelligence community compartmentalization is a way to try to protect sensitive information, caveats, codewords, clearances, read ins, need to know, etc., but in the personal context it refers to being capable of being a “different person in terms of outlook, values and behavior at different times and circumstances.” David Charney met with Hanssen for an entire year after his arrest and described him as “the most compartmentalized person I have ever met.” He also mentions that he is a very experienced psychiatrist. Charney says in terms of compartmentalization most of us are a 1-2 on a scale of 10. Guess where Hanssen was?Quote of the Week"At one point hacked into one of his colleagues’ computers to get more information, he was found out and his excuse was, I was just trying to show you how easily we're hacked into so that we can make sure that we don’t, and they believed him because he was a computer guy…they just believed him when he hacked in this other person's computer. Crazy." – Lis WiehlResourcesHeadline Resource A Spy in Plain Sight, L. Wiehl (S&S, 2022)*SpyCasts* “The FBI Way” - Counterintelligence Chief Frank Figliuzzi “Leningrad, Molehunts, and Life After the CIA” - Christopher Burgess (2021) “Defending a Spy, An Espionage Attorney” - Plato Cacheris (2015) “The Movie Breach and Hollywood’s Take on Espionage” – Eric O’Neill (2007) “FBI Counterintelligence and the Robert Hanssen Spy Case” – Dave Major (2007) Books New History of Soviet Intelligence, J. Haslam (FS&J, 2015) Spy Handler, V. Cherkashin, (Basic, 2008) Articles Spy Who Kept Cold War Cold – Polyakov, History (2019) Spy Psychology/Insider Spies, NOIR (2014) Death of the Perfect Spy – Polyakov, Time (2001) Videos Charney on What Makes Traitors Tick? SPY (2014)Primary Sources Witness to History at SPY, Hanssen Investigation (2013) Review on FBI Performance Detecting Hanssen, OIG (2003)  A Review of FBI Security Programs, Webster Commission (2002) Sandy Grimes Interview on Polyakov (1998) *Wildcard Resource* Inside the Supermax Prison (Florence, Colorado)  Hanssen is here alongside Harold James Nicholson, El Chapo, Ramzi Yousef and Terry Nichols Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
May 3, 2022 • 40min

“CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer” – with Mike Susong (Part 2 of 2)

SummaryMike Susong (Website; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss CIA, cyber and corporate intelligence. He won the Intelligence Star for Heroism in the Field.What You’ll LearnIntelligence Applying aspects of Mike’s training to the private sector using “competitive intelligence”  Mike’s role co-founding a pioneering company in the field of Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) The role of technology in enabling and constraining espionage  What drew Mike to an annual free-thinking social experiment in the desert  Reflections Entrepreneurial thinking as unwavering belief in an idea The difference between working for Uncle Sam and working for corporate America And much, much more…Episode NotesAndrew sat down with W. Michael Susong for a two-parter to discuss CIA, cyber and Burning Man. Last week in PART I we looked at Mike’s time working for the CIA and in the domain of human intelligence, while in PART II we will focus on his time as an entrepreneur and intelligence leader in the cyber threat intelligence and competitive intelligence spaces.Mike was a U.S. Army major who completed multiple combat tours and a CIA case officer. He went into the private sector and created competitive intelligence programs for Fujitsu and Ernst & Young, and he was a pioneer in the field of cyber threat intelligence or CTI, creating the first programs for Visa and Pacific Gas & Electric. He is both CISM and CPP certified and a Black Rock Ranger.And…Black Rock Rangers are volunteers at Burning Man, an annual event that focuses on artistic expression, spiritual regeneration, and radical inclusion. It culminates in the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, known as “The Man.” If you want to explore the event or the ideas that propel it, including its roots in the Californian counter-culture and its Silicon Valley connections, you can do so here, here, here, here, here, and here.Quote of the Week"I worked with, with two corporations to build competitive intelligence programs, for them…I want to emphasize that's the ethical application of certain aspects of the intelligence cycle, to support a business decision. So, this was more on the analysis piece, some on collection, and certainly when you start to speak of collection within a private sector environment, you have to have clear, bright lines aloud about what is and is not acceptable." – Mike SusongResourcesHeadline Resource Application of Intelligence Principles to Raise IT Security, M. Susong, YouTube (2012)*SpyCasts From the CIA to Strategic Cyber – Hans Holmer (2022) Cyberattacks, Espionage & Ransomware – Inside Microsoft’s MSTIC (2022) Articles Start a Competitive Intelligence System that Wins, P. Mertens, Sprout Social (2022) Gathering Competitive Intelligence From Twitter, S. Argawal, Startup Grind Websites Competitive Intelligence Resources, SCIP PBR (Projects, Briefs, Reports)  2022 State of Competitive Intelligence, SCIP/Crayon (2022) CTI: Applying Better Terminology to Threats Intelligence, A. Greer, SANS (2021) Understanding Cyber Threat Intelligence Operations, Bank of England (2016) Courses Cyber Threat Intelligence, SANS Cyber Threat Intelligence, Threat Intelligence Academy Podcasts Cyber Threat Intelligence, Hacking Humans (2020) Intelligence Operations: A First Principle of Cybersecurity, CSO Perspectives (2022) Video 2022 State of Competitive Intelligence, YouTube (2022) A CEO’s Perspective on Intelligence, Report Linker (2020) Primary Sources Letter to CIA Deputy Director on Competitive Intelligence (1986)*Wildcard Resource* The Whole Earth Catalog (1968) Steve Jobs called it “the bible of his generation” and links have been made between it and Silicon Valley, Cyber, and Burning Man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
Apr 26, 2022 • 49min

“CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer” – with Mike Susong (Part 1 of 2)

SummaryMike Susong (Website; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss CIA, cyber and corporate intelligence. He won the Intelligence Star for Heroism in the Field.What You’ll LearnIntelligence The outgrowth of “intelligence” from a nation-state activity to a corporate activity Recruiting and running agents as a CIA case officer His shift from tactical intelligence to strategic intelligence His journey from a curious kid with a short-wave radio to an intel professional Reflections Effective decision-making and intelligence The opportunities and challenges of working in different fields and domains And much, much more…Episode NotesWhat is it like to do intelligence for Uncle Sam and then for the private sector? What is different and what is similar? How did intelligence go from supporting national security decision-making to business decision-making? To answer these questions, Andrew sat down with W. Michael Susong for a two-parter. PART I will focus on Mike’s time working for the CIA and in the domain of human intelligence, while PART II will focus on his time in the as an entrepreneur and intelligence leader in the cyber threat intelligence and competitive intelligence spaces.Mike was a U.S. Army major who completed multiple combat tours and a CIA case officer. He went into the private sector and created competitive intelligence programs for Fujitsu and Ernst & Young, and he was a pioneer in the field of cyber threat intelligence or CTI, creating the first programs for Visa and Pacific Gas & Electric. He is both CISM and CPP certified and a Black Rock Ranger.And…Black Rock Rangers are volunteers at Burning Man, an annual event that focuses on artistic expression, spiritual regeneration, and radical inclusion. It culminates in the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, known as “The Man.” If you want to explore the event or the ideas that propel it, including its roots in the Californian counter-culture and its Silicon Valley connections, you can do so here, here, here, here, here, and here.Quote of the Week"It’s analogous to business. So, there's closers, people who are really the salesman…but then they're not good at the kind of that long-term relationship, reassuring, working over time…And so I would say that there are case officers who are better at spotting and recruiting, and there are case officers that are better at handling." – Mike SusongResourcesHeadline Resource Application of Intelligence Principles to Raise IT Security, M. Susong, YouTube (2012)*SpyCasts From the CIA to Strategic Cyber – Hans Holmer (2022) Cyberattacks, Espionage & Ransomware – Inside Microsoft’s MSTIC (2022) Articles Start a Competitive Intelligence System that Wins, P. Mertens, Sprout Social (2022) Gathering Competitive Intelligence From Twitter, S. Argawal, Startup Grind Websites Competitive Intelligence Resources, SCIP PBR (Projects, Briefs, Reports)  2022 State of Competitive Intelligence, SCIP/Crayon (2022) CTI: Applying Better Terminology to Threats Intelligence, A. Greer, SANS (2021) Understanding Cyber Threat Intelligence Operations, Bank of England (2016) Courses Cyber Threat Intelligence, SANS Cyber Threat Intelligence, Threat Intelligence Academy Podcasts Cyber Threat Intelligence, Hacking Humans (2020) Intelligence Operations: A First Principle of Cybersecurity, CSO Perspectives (2022) Video 2022 State of Competitive Intelligence, YouTube (2022) A CEO’s Perspective on Intelligence, Report Linker (2020) Primary Sources Letter to CIA Deputy Director on Competitive Intelligence (1986)*Wildcard Resource* The Whole Earth Catalog (1968) Steve Jobs called it “the bible of his generation” and links have been made between it and Silicon Valley, Cyber, and Burning Man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
Apr 19, 2022 • 58min

“El Chapo, the Sinaloa Cartel & Intelligence” – with Trial Reporter Noah Hurowitz

SummaryNoah Hurowitz (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss infamous drug kingpin El Chapo. A weak link in his cybersecurity set-up would help bring him down. What You’ll LearnIntelligence El Chapo’s internal surveillance operation The cartel’s use of cryptography to keep communications covert How cybersecurity enabled then brought down El Chapo The role of the infamous DFS – a corrupt and now disbanded intelligence agency Reflections Technology – early adopters vs. counter responders The changing nature of crime enabled by emerging technologies – spyware, drones, etc. And much, much more…Episode NotesJoaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, aka El Chapo (shorty) because of his 5-foot 6-inch frame, was called by one of the agents chasing him, “the godfather of the drug world.” So, how did a low-level drug dealer from a provincial state rise to try and subvert the Mexican government to his will? What was the intelligence game that played out with regards to El Chapo? How did the cartels use spytech, tradecraft and cybersecurity to stay one step ahead of the law? How was he caught?To answer these questions and more, Andrew sat down with Noah Horowitz who covered the trial of El Chapo in Brooklyn for Rolling Stone magazine. Noah is also the author of the recent book El Chapo, and his work has appeared in the Village Voice, the Baffler and New York Magazine. And…In the El Chapo trial, question No.57 asked prospective jurors, “Are you familiar with Jesus Malverde?” If you are not familiar with this angel of the poor (el ángel de los pobres) as well as the Sinaloan narcos (el narcosantón), then you can find out why this question would be relevant here, here, here and here.Quote of the Week"So, in addition to encrypted communications…he was also installing spyware on Blackberry devices that El Chapo was giving out to his lieutenants and his girlfriends and his wives. And then EL Chapo was able to use this, the spyware program to see what was on their phones. He was able to see their text messages. He was able to see their locations. He was even able to remotely activate their mic and listen to them. And he loved that…it was like a toy to him almost. He became obsessed with it." – Noah HurowitzResourcesHeadline Resource El Chapo, N. Hurowitz (S&S, 2021)*SpyCasts* Drug Cartels, Sleeper Cells, the Waco Siege & the Mob - Dennis Franks (2021)Books Dope: History of the Mexican Drug Trade, B. Smith (W.W. Norton, 2021) Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs & Cartels, I. Grillo (Bloomsbury, 2021) Articles Drugs, Crime and the Cartels, CFR (2021) The Tech that Took Down Pablo Escobar, Wired (2021) Mexican Cartels Cyber Surveillance, C. Schilis-Gallego, Forbidden Stories (2020)  Spy vs. Spy, El Chapo Edition, E. Groll, FP (2019) The Spyware that Brought Down El Chapo, S. Fussell, The Atlantic (2019) Websites El Paso Intelligence Project (EPIC) Centro Nacional De Intelligencia (CNI)  PBR (Projects, Briefs, Reports)  Mexico: Evolution of the Merida Initiative, C. Seelke, CRS (2021) Mexico Organized Crime and Drug Traffickers, J. Beittel, CRS (2020) Primary Sources EDNY Press Release on El Chapo Trial (2019) Memo in Support of Pre-trial Detention, USA vs. Joaquín Guzmán Loera (2017) Trial Transcripts of El Chapo Text Messages with His Mistress (2012) Official Report on Mexico’s “Dirty War” (2006) Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (1999) Primary Source Collections The Mexican Intelligence Digital Archives (MIDAS) Inside The Cartel: Key Documents (LAT) *Wildcard Resource* “The Original Indigenous People of Sinaloa” To understand Joaquín Guzmán Loera, starting at the year of his birth, 1957, might be enough; but to understand “El Chapo” it might help to go deeper still… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
undefined
Apr 12, 2022 • 40min

"ISIS Leader al-Mawla: Caliph. Scholar. Canary. Snitch." – with Daniel Milton, West Point CTC Director (Part 2 of 2)

SummaryDaniel Milton (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the former Caliph of the Islamic State. Al Mawla was killed in a U.S. raid in February 2022. What You’ll LearnIntelligence The origin of the term “Canary Caliph” The mythology of Islamic State and the reality Battlefield intelligence and understanding an enemy The Combating Terrorism Center being on the radar of terrorists Reflections The presentation of “self” The relationship between organizational priorities and organizational hierarchies And much, much more…Episode NotesDaniel Milton joins us again to discuss a series of interrogation reports of Al Mawla, at the time leader of Islamic law in Mosul for the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI). ISI was the successor to Al Qaeda in that country and the predecessor of Islamic State (Islamic State is a larger umbrella category, while ISIS, ISKP, etc. come with geographical designations, e.g., Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Al Mawla gave up the names of over 50 people within his own organization: and that was only in the first 3 of 56 interviews. One interesting insight you can glean from the documents is that Islamic State while very different from many organizations in many respects, is just like them in others: empire building, clashing personalities, struggles over process, paperwork, committees, territorialism, jealousy, prejudice, insecurity – like The Office, but with much more malevolent intent.And…If you want to read a document that captures (a) an important inflection point in the transition from Al Qaeda to Islamic State and (b) was one of the West Point CTC publications captured during the Bin Laden raid, read “Al Qaeda Secedes from Iraq.”Quote of the Week"I think we get a sense of it as an organization that exists and has similar struggles as any other organization does. Having said that, clearly, it's a clandestine organization, and so one of the overriding imperatives is security. Individuals are trying to stay alive and not get arrested or killed. And that affects a little bit of the way that you carry out business. I do think that you also see some element of the things that you described. There is competition. There are people who don't like each other." – Daniel MiltonResources*Headline Resources* Al Mawla Interrogation Reports “Islamic State,” Mapping Militants, CISAC Stanford Books Enemies Near & Far, D. Gartenstein-Ross (CUP, 2022) The ISIS Reader, Ingram et al. (Hurst, 2020) The Rise of Global Jihad, T. Hegghammer (CUP, 2020) Foreign Fighters in the Armies of Jihad, D. Byman (OUP, 2019) Anatomy of Terror, A. Soufan (W.W. Norton, 2017) The Far Enemy, F. Gerges (CUP, 2005) Best Books on the Middle East (Five Books) Articles ISIS Leader Quraishi Kills Himself, Al-Khalidi & Bose, Reuters (2022) ISIS’S Leadership Crisis, H. Ingram and C. Whiteside, Foreign Affairs (2022) The Islamic State in Afghanistan, A. Jadoon et al., CTC (2022) The Cloud Caliphate, Ayad et al., CTC (2021) Lessons from the Islamic State’s “Milestone” Texts and Speeches, Ingram et al., CTC (2020) Timeline: The Rise, Spread & Fall of the Islamic State, C. Glenn et al., Wilson Center (2019) Documentary Iraq & Syria: After Islamic State, BBC (2018) Confronting ISIS, PBS Frontline (2016) Reports Islamic State’s Method of Insurgency, H. Ingram, GW (2021)WebOperation Inherent ResolvePrimary Sources President Biden on a Successful Counterterrorism Operation (2022) Cyber Command’s Internet War Against ISIL (2018) Islamic State Memo for Dealing with New Recruits (2017) Message to the Mujahidin and the Muslim Ummah, Caliph Al Baghdadi (2014) The Management of Savagery (2006)  The Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) *Wildcard Resource* “Camp Bucca Newsletter #1” A U.S. forces newsletter from the time-period when Al Mawla was interrogated at Camp Bucca, in the vicinity of Umm Qasr, Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app