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

Out of the shadows: Europe exposes its Russian spies

30Dec

By ISSGNo Comments

Europe, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

Out of the shadows: Europe exposes its Russian spies

Countries in Scandinavia, a current security hot spot, are more visibly cracking down on citizens involved in Russian espionage. STOCKHOLM — Two military helicopters shattered the calm of suburban Stockholm on a late November morning, swooping over a private home in the sleepy locale of Kil in a high-profile raid on a Swedish couple accused of spying for Russia. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw the police piling into their house,” a neighbor of the arrested Stockholm couple told POLITICO. “The noise of the helicopters woke up the whole street, and we just stood on our driveways watching the action.” The rattle of helicopters in the darkness was the latest sign that European nations’ high-stakes games of espionage with Russia are increasingly being played in the open. The raid netted a...

Military operations in a more transparent world

29Dec

By ISSGNo Comments

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy, Space

Military operations in a more transparent world

Russia’s Ukraine build-up is the latest example of how some information can no longer be kept secret. In the past eight years, little short of a revolution has occurred in the world of “OSINT” – that is, Open Source Intelligence, information gathered from publicly accessible data – and especially Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), which analyses images gathered by assets from satellites to spies. Indeed, writing as a former Defence Imagery Analyst, the resources now available to individual citizens approaches those once reserved for the superpowers. The changes in publicly available (in contrast to government-used) OSINT and IMINT are highlighted by comparing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014 with the Kremlin’s current build‑up against Kyiv. Eight years ago, limited satellite...

OSINT Investigators Find That Budanov In Bakhmut Was Less Than Kilometer From Contact Line

29Dec

By ISSGNo Comments

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

OSINT Investigators Find That Budanov In Bakhmut Was Less Than Kilometer From Contact Line

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, was less than a kilometer from the battle sites during a trip to Bakhmut, Donetsk Region. This conclusion was reached by OSINT researchers, analyzing photos with Budanov from Bakhmut. The Defense Intelligence press service reported that on December 27-28, Budanov visited the front-line positions in Bakhmut. To the north, east and south of the city for long months, fierce battles with the Russian invaders continue. The agency also published several photos of Budanov in Bakhmut itself. OSINT researchers were able to establish where one of the photographs was taken. So, the head of the Defense Intelligence visited the eastern outskirts of the city, near which are the positions of Ru...

OSINT, Training Should Top Intelligence Community Goals, INSA Says

29Dec

By ISSGNo Comments

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Privacy

OSINT, Training Should Top Intelligence Community Goals, INSA Says

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) must become the intelligence “of first resort” for the intel community, according to a white paper released by the Intelligence and National Security Foundation (INSF) earlier this month. A top-line finding from the report titled “INSF Position Paper: Future of the IC Workforce” is that the intelligence community must take advantage of OSINT to enhance partnerships between private and public organizations. “Moving forward, partnerships between all stakeholders need to be defined, open, and practiced,” the report says. “Collaboration must enhance government and industry actors’ ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate accurate information to decision-makers and warfighters quickly enough to be actionable.” “As more information and data become availabl...