Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy - International Studies of Strategic and Geopolitics

Russian Warplane Hits American Drone Over Black Sea, U.S. Says

15Mar

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy, Military Technology

Russian Warplane Hits American Drone Over Black Sea, U.S. Says

The incident was the first known physical contact between the two militaries since the war in Ukraine began last year. WASHINGTON — A Russian warplane struck a U.S. surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, hitting the drone’s propeller and causing its American operators to bring it down in international waters, according to the Pentagon, in the first known physical contact between the Russian and American militaries since the war in Ukraine started last February. The downing of the MQ-9 Reaper, a workhorse of the American military’s airborne reconnaissance fleet, immediately escalated tensions between the White House and the Kremlin as U.S. officials accused the Russian forces involved in the incident of behaving dangerously. American military officials said the unarmed Reaper ...

Think Like a Spy: How Open Source Intelligence Can Give You a Competitive Advantage

15Mar

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

Think Like a Spy: How Open Source Intelligence Can Give You a Competitive Advantage

The realm of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is a labyrinth of information and insights that organizations can delve into to fortify their digital frontiers while keeping a close eye on the activities of their competitors. This is achieved by harvesting a cornucopia of publicly accessible data from the World Wide Web, social media platforms and other publicly accessible records. By synergizing these various sources of information, organizations can gain an unprecedented perspective of the trends, patterns and perils in the digital domain. OSINT is not just a tool for information gathering but is a tool that provides organizations with a powerful vantage point to identify potential risks, track the movements of competitors and even uncover illicit activities. It also affords organizations...

How social networks became a ‘subsidiary’ of the FBI and CIA

21Feb

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

How social networks became a ‘subsidiary’ of the FBI and CIA

By Jonathan Cook The Twitter Files have lifted the lid on a secret alliance between Silicon Valley, intelligence agencies and the political establishment. he US Congress last tried to grapple with what the country’s ballooning security services were up to nearly half a century ago. In 1975, the Church Committee managed to take a fleeting, if far from complete, snapshot of the netherworld in which agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and National Security Agency (NSA) operate. In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, the congressional committee and other related investigations found that the country’s intelligence services had sweeping surveillance powers and were involved in a raft of illegal or unconstitutional acts. They ...

Russia’s ‘Killer’ Swarm Drone Project: Russian, Chinese Agencies ‘Partner’ To Attack Ukraine’s Military Infra – British Media Claims

3Feb

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Military Technology, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

Russia’s ‘Killer’ Swarm Drone Project: Russian, Chinese Agencies ‘Partner’ To Attack Ukraine’s Military Infra – British Media Claims

By Ashish Dangwal In a covert arms agreement with Chinese spies, Russia’s infamous Wagner Group mercenaries are reportedly developing “swarm drones” to target Ukrainian armed forces. The explosive-tipped drones from China would reportedly be used in large numbers against Ukraine. These drones would be capable of wreaking havoc on military targets. The British media claimed that secret discussions between Chinese cyber experts, the Wagner Group, and spies from both nations have taken place as part of Moscow’s killer swarm project. The developments contrast Beijing’s claims that it is not engaged in the Ukraine war, morphing into a West-versus-East confrontation. Over 2,500 DJI Mavic2 drones were shipped from Beijing to Moscow as part of a secret agreement with Russia’s infamous W...

Self-Driving Truck Start-Up Faces Espionage Investigation Over China Connection

2Feb

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

Self-Driving Truck Start-Up Faces Espionage Investigation Over China Connection

TuSimple develops self-driving software for trucking companies, but it might not be keeping those big-brained developments here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Members of a U.S. national-security panel are urging the Justice Department to bring charges against two of TuSimple’s founders and the company’s current CFO for patents being improperly transferred to China-based startup, Hydron. TuSimple is best known for taking a load of melons on a 1,200-mile journey — 950 of those miles driven autonomously — across four states in the American southwest in 2021. The company seemed to hold a lot of promise in the self-driving tech space until multiple federal organizations began to look closely at the company and, in particular, TuSimple’s founders Xiaodi Hou and Mo Chen and current Chief Executive C...

There are almost 6,000 Russian soldiers in Belarus – Intelligence Agency

26Jan

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

There are almost 6,000 Russian soldiers in Belarus – Intelligence Agency

There are almost 6,000 Russian soldiers on the territory of Belarus. According to the press service of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the corresponding statement was made by the representative of the Main Intelligence Agency Vadym Skibitsky on the air of the national telethon. "Today, the land component on the territory of Belarus is 5,800 military personnel. The second mechanized division has now moved to the territory of Russia, and has also entered the territory of Ukraine. This is Luhansk region. Now units of the sixth division, units of territorial troops, are entering there for training. This is not at all like that the contingent that was at the beginning of the aggression. There is no powerful aviation component, despite the training, there is...

Russia plans to mobilize 500,000 soldiers in days. If they don’t deliver victory, then ‘Putin will collapse,’ says Ukrainian spy chief.

7Jan

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

Russia plans to mobilize 500,000 soldiers in days. If they don’t deliver victory, then ‘Putin will collapse,’ says Ukrainian spy chief.

The Ukrainian military is warning that Putin is planning to mobilize up to half a million new troops in preparation for a new offensive in Ukraine. Speaking to the German news site T-Online, Andriy Chernyak, a Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service representative, said that they believe the mobilization will be announced on January 15, after the Orthodox Christian Christmas. Chernyak estimated 500,000 people would be mobilized, with those living in cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg to be most impacted. Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy military intelligence chief, said the recruits would be used in attacks that will begin in the spring in the east and south of Ukraine, reported the Evening Standard. "We expect them to conduct offensives in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, as well as...

The secret life of MI5 spy who infiltrated the New IRA

7Jan

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

The secret life of MI5 spy who infiltrated the New IRA

A family man posing as an NHS worker and hotel inspector infiltrated the violent New IRA dissident group and spilled its secrets to MI5 for more than a decade before vanishing into thin air. Dennis McFadden – 'the man who was always there but was never there' – bugged meetings and gleaned information from suspected terrorists by treating them to Spanish holidays and Celtic tickets, according to a sensational series of court hearings in Northern Ireland. In an effort to loosen the tongues of suspected New IRA members, the Glaswegian plied them with Guinness and gin in a Covid lockdown bar in the back garden of a suburban bungalow where he lived with his wife and young son. As part of 'Operation Arbacia', he also hosted the group's so-called army council of senior figures in rented Air...

Russia’s war in Ukraine marks ‘sea change’ in use of intelligence, GCHQ boss says

7Jan

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

Russia’s war in Ukraine marks ‘sea change’ in use of intelligence, GCHQ boss says

The conflict in Ukraine has represented a “sea change” in the release of secret intelligence to inform public debate, the head of the GCHQ spy agency has said. Sir Jeremy Fleming said the release of details by western intelligence agencies of the Russian military build-up in the run up to the invasion had helped counter Moscow’s narrative that Ukraine was threatening its neighbour. However, speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, he acknowledged that it had proved more effective in theWest than in other parts of the world. https://twitter.com/BBCr4today/status/1608418515169546241 “There is no point in collecting it (secret intelligence) unless you use it,” he said. “The sea change we have seen during this conflict, getting the intelligence out there and us...

Chinese ‘Espionage’ Of US Military Technology Could Receive A Serious Jolt As Republicans Take Charge Of House Of Representatives

30Dec

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Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy, Military Technology

Chinese ‘Espionage’ Of US Military Technology Could Receive A Serious Jolt As Republicans Take Charge Of House Of Representatives

When the Republicans take charge of the US House of Representatives next month, President Biden’s policy towards China will come under greater scrutiny by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by Michael McCaul. McCaul, who represents the 10th District of Texas, and his fellow Republicans say that the Biden Administration has failed in curbing Chinese espionage in America, particularly the systematic way Beijing is “stealing” US research and technology, both civil and military. Republicans have maintained that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been using stolen American technologies to manufacture advanced weapons for many years. In October 2021, they issued an open letter to that effect. According to McCaul, the research and technology stolen by the CCP resulted in Chin...