Grey Dynamics

Welcome to the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS). In this special podcast, we provide an all-encompassing look at our unique approach to intelligence training, discussing our origin story, course structure, and future vision.

Recognising a gap in existing intelligence training – a disconnect between academic studies and on-the-job experiences – we founded GDIS. Our mission? To bridge this gap and offer an effective transition from theoretical knowledge to practical intelligence work.

The heart of our intelligence training is a series of six crucial modules, each addressing a distinct phase of the intelligence cycle:

• Intelligence Fundamentals
• Intelligence Direction Fundamentals
• Intelligence Collection Fundamentals
• Intelligence Processing Fundamentals
• Intelligence Analysis Fundamentals
• Intelligence Dissemination Fundamentals

Our podcast also offers a glimpse into the future, revealing our plans for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of our intelligence training program. These upcoming phases will introduce specialised and advanced modules, deepening our intelligence training further. To ensure quality training, we limit our student intake to 100 per cohort (for the whole bundle and each 2/3 months), maintaining a focus on personalised attention and mentorship.

Despite the comprehensive nature of our intelligence training, the courses are around $200/$250 per course. While the bundle is economically priced between $1000 and $1250. We will continuously update and refine our courses to stay current with the industry's evolving landscape, ensuring our students receive up-to-date and relevant intelligence training.

Tune into our latest podcast episode for an exclusive look at how GDIS is reshaping intelligence training. Whether you're a prospective student, potential partner, or an intelligence enthusiast, join us to explore the innovative world of intelligence training.

Timestamps:

0:00 Why we made the course

9:22 The Fundamentals

15:35 Direction

19:24 Collection

21:05 Processing

25:38 Analysis

31:38 Dissemination

34:18 Caveats and FAQ

37:46 Instructors

38:24 Phase Two and Difficulty

40:40 Career prospects

42:57 External courses and instructors

45:37 Marcel’s thoughts

47:40 Who can take this course?

Grey Dynamic Intelligence

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Today we are rounding up the best advice we have had so far in season 2 of the podcast! Advice from professionals from across the industry, whether it be corporate, government, or non-profit, it's all here. Be sure to check out the episodes featured. This is our last episode of season 2, but keep on the look out for bonus episodes over the summer.

• Mike Evans (0:23)
• Benjamin Strick (7:09)
• Skip Schiphorst (9:14)
• Jordan Ponath (13:35)
• Mike Monnik (21:07)
• Paul Scharre (25:02)
• Lucas Webber (30:42)
• Alec Bertina (32:33)
• Jonah Leff (37:22)
• D. (40:44)
• Kelly Wong (42:45)
• Bryan Stern (44:32)

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Today, I spoke to Drew Biemer, a strategic management, and communications professional with over two decades of experience in governmental, public, and civil affairs. Currently serving as the administrator of the Site Evaluation Committee and agency director for Energy Facility Siting, Permitting, Investigation, and Enforcement in the US State of New Hampshire.

His political experience spans campaign management and legislative staffing at the local, state, and federal levels, working with notable figures such as members of Congress, governors, and presidential candidates.

As a frequent panellist and moderator at energy conferences in the US and Africa, Drew shares his expertise in resilience, energy security, stakeholder engagement, land use, politics, and local content. He also has additional experience in executive protection, public safety, information operations, geopolitical risk analysis, and crisis management.

You can find Drew Biemer on:

• LinkedIn

• Drew’s background (1:30)
• Policy campaigns as information operations (3:44)
• Why disrupt an adversary’s energy operation (8:37)
• Load shedding and South African case study (12:02)
• How ESG has impacted US business and policy (17:49)
• How can Western countries successfully partner with other countries going forward? (22:13)
• The western infantilization of African countries (25:34)
• What is the apprehension of nuclear power? (30:47)
• Are there any recurring issues Ahmed finds with his clients, concerning African energy (37:24)
• Career advice (45:40)
• Cultural Recommendations (48:39)

Related Links:

• Corporate Intelligence, Global Risk, & OSINT Tips with Gareth Westwood
• OSINT & SOCMINT for Threat Intelligence with Jordan Ponath
• Warzone Extraction, China vs Taiwan & Project Dynamo with Bryan Stern

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• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
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Today, I spoke to Bryan Stern, who has 25 years of service focused on intelligence and special operations with the US. He specializes in counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, hostage rescue, personnel recovery, critical technology protection, and unconventional warfare against near-peer threats. He is a Purple Heart recipient and is credited with being a military first responder at the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 attacks. Currently, he manages Project Dynamo, a non-profit international search, rescue, aid, and assistance organization. Initially established to aid individuals in leaving Afghanistan after the US withdrawal, Project Dynamo has since been involved in extracting people from Ukraine, Sudan, and various other perilous locations.

You can find Project Dynamo on:

• Project Dynamo
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linkedin

• Bryan’s background (0:56)
• Bryan on the focus of near-peer threats (4:40)
• US-China strategy and national focus (7:40)
• Developing US capability to fight near-peer threats (11:26)
• Questioning China’s combat experience (15:06)
• China’s legal claim to Taiwan (17:10)
• Do Americans care about Taiwan? (20:18)
• Project Dynamo and its origins during the withdrawal from Afghanistan (21:15)
• Project Dynamo after Afghanistan (31:57)
• Discussing what human infrastructure is (41:28)
• Project Dynamo in Sudan (49:02)
• Preparing for an evacuation from Taiwan (59:28)
• Advice (1:10:36)
• Being disarming (1:12:04)
• Advice continued (1:15:06)
• Cultural recommendations (1:24:50)

Related Links:

• OSINT, Military Career Transition & Language Skills with Skip Schiphorst
• OSINT & SOCMINT for Threat Intelligence with Jordan Ponath
• Interview with former CIA Officer, Jason L.

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

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• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast

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Today I spoke to D., a former Military Intelligence operator from Australia. He has also worked in law enforcement and is currently doing contracted work. We spoke about his experience transitioning from combat engineer to intelligence operator, his time in Afghanistan, mental health, demystifying HUMINT, getting into OSINT and more.

You can find D. on:

• Instagram

• The reality on the ground in Afghanistan during his deployment (3:08)
• Staying on and changing roles after his first deployment (4:55)
• Transitioning from a combat engineer to intelligence (6:21)
• Lessons learned and experiences on deployment in intelligence (9:42)
• Whether he maintained any relationships from operations (12:31)
• Learning languages (13:43)
• Recognizing burnout and mental health struggles (16:43)
• Starting the.dirtydingo Instagram account (21:46)
• AI and the future of intelligence (27:04)
• Advice to professionals in the industry (29:56)
• Advice for getting started in OSINT (33:35)
• Cultural recommendations (39:07)

• Related Links:

• So, You Want To Be An Intelligence Analyst?
• A Guide to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)
• OSINT, Military Career Transition & Language Skills with Skip Schiphorst
• OSINT & SOCMINT for Threat Intelligence with Jordan Ponath
• GEOINT, OSINT & Facing Vicarious Trauma with Benjamin Strick
• Former DIA Intelligence Analyst, Marcel Plichta
• Intelligence Led-Policing, OSINT & Facing PTSD with Julie Nel

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

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Today I spoke to Kelly Wong, a security analyst in the Canadian Senate. She has previously worked for multiple private intelligence firms and has interned at the International Criminal Courts. We discussed the challenges and rewards of working in intelligence, the obstacles ethnic minorities face in the application process, and Kelly's advice for young professionals.

Apologies for the mic quality in this episode.

Disclaimer:

Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the Interviewee are solely that of the Interviewee and do not reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of any institution or organisation.

You can find Kelly on:

• LinkedIn

• What working at the ICC was like as an intern (3:00)
• Moving from an international organisation to the private sector (6:13)
• The experience of working away from home (10:09)
• Kelly’s current job at the Senate of Canada (11:09)
• The precautions involved in working with classified material remotely (12:33)
• What working for the Senate of Canada in an intelligence role involves (14:42)
• Canada’s intelligence capability (16:05)
• OSINT and application of investigative mindset in Kelly’s role (17:25)
• What sets Kelly apart from others, professionally (19:46)
• What helped shape Kelly as a person and a professional (22:03)
• How being from an ethnic minority has impacted Kelly’s journey (24:44)
• What’s next for Kelly (28:37)
• What area Kelly would like to work in going forward (29:53)
• Mentoring (31:13)
• Career advice for young / mid career professionals (33:31)
• Cultural recommendations (35:05)
• Kelly’s question about the origins of Grey Dynamics (36:41)
• Kelly’s advice on languages (42:35)
• Final thoughts (46:29)

Related Links:

• So, You Want To Be An Intelligence Analyst?
• A Guide to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)
• A Guide to Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT)

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast
• 
  
• Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

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Today I spoke with Lucas Webber, co-founder of Militant Wire, an organization focused on providing independent analysis of militant activity and armed conflict around the world. We discussed Russia's "White Power Rangers", Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), interviewing violent non-state actors, Lucas' writing process and more.

You can find Lucas on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Militant Wire

• Lucas’ background and The Militant Wire (0:43)
• What is Lucas currently working on? (06:48)
• The White Power Rangers (7:56)
• Who is ISKP? (10:30)
• ISKP’s media operation (14:51)
• The Taliban and GDI response to ISKP (17:41)
• What makes ISKP so robust? (21:06)
• What does Lucas’ process look like (22:59)
• Where Lucas sources his information (25:36)
• Talking to members of the groups Lucas writes about (27:12)
• Lucas’ structure for researching and writing (27:57)
• Advice for people trying to get into the field (30:50)
• Cultural recommendations (32:33)
• Lucas asks how Grey Dynamics started (33:49)

Related Links:

• Russian Private Military Contractors in Ukraine with Alec Bertina
• Selling Terror Online and Information Warfare with Anna Kruglova
• So, You Want To Be An Intelligence Analyst?
• Cyber Terrorism: The Islamic State in Cyberspace
• IS-K: Undermining the Taliban and Central Asian Security
• Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Pakistan: A Situational Assessment

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

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It is Intelligence Tradecraft Week here at Grey Dynamics, so for this week's episode we thought we'd round up the tools and tricks used by practitioners we've had on the podcast, in the real world. They cover social media tools, advanced search techniques, monitoring services, AI and more. Be sure to check out their full episodes, linked below.

• Benjamin Strick (0:39)
• Jordan Ponath (4:21)
• Gareth Westwood (10:17)
• Paul Scharre (15:09)
• Skip Schiporst (18:19)

• Intelligence Tradecraft Week:
• A Guide to Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
• Is Human Intelligence Still Possible in the Digital Age?
• A Guide to Covert Surveillance
• A Guide to Criminal Intelligence
• A Guide to Front Organisations' Role in Intelligence Operations
• A Guide to Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT)
• A Guide to Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

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This week I spoke to Alec Bertina, a non-traditional security actor researcher, specialising on Russia security affairs. In this episode, we discussed the wild and confusing network of Russian private military contractors, the people behind them and their mission. From ex-special forces to far right to oil and gas companies, there are many actors at play here. Alec does a fantastic job of breaking down the key groups and their motivations.

You can find Alec on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Substack

• Alec’s background (1:15)
• Wagner PMC’s background and role in Ukraine (3:51)
• Wagner’s intelligence operation (7:33)
• Who is Prigozhin? (10:34)
• Power struggles in the Russian military establishment (12:35)
• Rusich Group (16:05)
• Patriot PMC and its purpose (19:04)
• Patriot’s high salaries and potential use of ex-KSSO operators (24:05)
• Redut (27:24)
• Gazprom’s PMCs (31:59)
• How Russian PMCs dispose of their staff (36:15)
• The use of PMC in case of Russian collapse (40:03)
• Advise to those that want to study this topic (41:38)
• Is there any legitimacy to these PMCs? (46:16)
• Russia reading recommendations (49:46)
• Cultural recommendations (51:49)

Related Links:

• Wagner PMC Activity in the Central African Republic: A Geospatial Analysis
• Sahel Security 2023: Russia Forecast
• Insecurity in the Central African Republic: A 6-Month Outlook
• Sahel Security Week, French Exodus & Wagner COIN Efforts with Menastream
• Wagner PMC, Spy Balloons & Spearfishing with Marcel Plichta

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

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This week I caught up again with Marcel Plichta. Marcel is a member of the Grey Dynamics team, he is also a PhD candidate at St. Andrews and an Ex-DIA Analyst. We discussed the context of Finland's NATO membership, the state of UGVs, the Great power competition in Africa, and how generative AI models like ChatGPT could be applied to intelligence in practice.

You can find Marcel on:

• Grey Dynamics
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

• Context of Finland’s NATO membership (1:05)
• The state of UVGs (9:58)
• The limited footage available of UGVs deployment (14:29)
• Potential Wagner attack on Chinese miners in CAR (17:35)
• The West’s waning influence over Africa (23:09)
• Iranian Drones in the Middle East (35:07)
• The application of ChatGPT in intelligence (40:10)
• Grey Dynamics analysis (50:36)
• Cultural recommendations (53:50)
• Closing words (1:02:49)

Related Links:

• Wagner PMC Activity in the Central African Republic: A Geospatial Analysis
• Drone Threat Intelligence, 3D Printing and Dark Networks with Mike Monnik
• Tsunami Torpedoes, Ukrainian USVs & Narco Subs with HI Sutton
• Drones, Robotics, AI and Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine with Samuel Bendett
• Sahel Security Week, French Exodus & Wagner COIN Efforts with Menastream
• ChatGPT, The Intelligence Community & Career Advice with Mike Evans

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Podcast

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

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