SIGINT

Risk aversion in Special Operations: When aid workers have more freedom in a combat zone

Who has more freedom of movement in a combat zone: a highly trained and well-resourced Special Operations fighter, or an untrained volunteer working for a cash-strapped religious non-governmental organization (NGO)? In the author’s opinion and experience, the answer is the NGO worker — and by a long shot. The reason for this predominantly boils down […]

Western spies are failing against Russia and China: time for a spycraft revolution

Western models of spycraft are failing. Traditional models of spycraft seek to inform decision-making based on predictive analysis, but this is no longer effective in today’s environment. By nature, closed and authoritarian regimes, such as Russia and China, have an easier job of spying on their more progressive and open adversaries — the United States […]

The top 4 things you need to know about intelligence gathering and use

Inscribed on the CIA’s original headquarters in Langley is a passage from the Gospel of St. John: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” This unofficial Agency motto alludes to the truth and clarity that intelligence provides to decision-makers, similar to the “knowledge is power” mantra. But what happens […]

CIA Reading List: Suggested readings for intelligence professionals

While intelligence is mostly known for its classified nature, a good portion of intelligence work is conducted using open source methods. OSINT, or open-source intelligence as it is referred to, is a valuable tool critical to any bit of analysis. A responsible intelligence analyst always takes into consideration the OSINT available. While it cannot (or […]

75th Ranger Regiment permanently activates new battalion

Earlier this month, the 75th Army Ranger Regiment permanently activated its newest battalion. The Ranger Military Intelligence Battalion (RHIB) is now one of the five battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the other being three infantry battalions (1/75, 2/75, 3/75) and a Special Troops Battalion. According to the 75th Ranger Regiment, the RHIB’s mission is […]

Midland X-Talker Two Way Radios – Comms Check

Living in an area with constant hurricanes creates unique challenges. With hurricanes come power outages and nonexistent cell phone service. In the event of an evacuation, I’m not going by myself. Between family and friends, we’ll have quite the convoy. Do you know what a convoy needs? A set of radios. Having comms is always […]

Russia & China employ disinformation to degrade US democracy

This article seeks to explore the concept of disinformation, its impact on current events, and how average citizens can be cognizant of, recognize, and learn to avoid its harmful effects. Specifically, we will discuss the growing trend of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, their goals, and several recent examples of them. This is an expansive and incredibly […]

Huawei and the Chinese surveillance network in Africa

Editor’s note: This article was written by Eren Ersozoglu and originally published on Grey Dynamics.  Since 2012, the U.S. has accused Huawei of being a potential tool for surveillance abroad. While on the surface Huawei is not state-owned, Chinese legislation requires companies to assist in national intelligence work. And this should be viewed in the […]

This isn’t the SAS: Britain’s most secretive SOF unit in Northern Ireland

Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of a series. Captured by the IRA or a blown cover. These were the ultimate sins. In case an operator was compromised, he would either be sent to a different Detachment and location or to the conventional army. So, the three-week Induction Phase, when fresh operators were paired […]

Underwear, an informant, and $25 million: The hunt for the leader of ISIS

On Saturday night, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi chose suicide over death or capture at the hands of the Delta operators of A Squadron. The operation, however, had begun months before the Delta shooters came in knocking at the leader of ISIS’ door. The story behind the tracking of the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) is […]

Finding needles in haystacks: The future of military intelligence?

In the national security decision-making process and military operations, more often than not, intelligence drives action. Actionable intelligence, that is, timely and accurate information about a target of interest, is the most precious commodity. There are numerous ways to gather actionable intelligence: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is highly valued but very difficult to acquire as it […]

How the NSA caught the next Edward Snowden with the help of the Russians

In 2016, U.S. law enforcement arrested Harold T. Martin III, a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, for stealing a massive amount of classified data that would put Edward Snowden to shame. Now, it’s being revealed the intelligence that led to the bust came from the unlikeliest of sources: a Russian cybersecurity company. Kaspersky Lab, based […]