Grey Dynamics

Today I spoke with Jonah Leff, the director of operations at Conflict Armament Research (CAR). He has extensive experience investigating sanctions violations and advising policymakers on issues related to armed violence and conflict. We discussed the role of OSINT in his work, 3D printed guns, drones in Ukraine and much more.

You can find Jonah on:

• Conflict Armament Research
• LinkedIn
• Twitter

• Jonah’s background (1:11)
• Why did it take governments so long to take an interest in arms tracking? (11:54)
• What role does open source play in CAR's process? (15:39)
• The tools they use (18:42)
• 3D printed guns (21:43)
• Nonpermissive countries and countries Jonah would like access to (24:41)
• The use of drones in Ukraine (28:00)
• What keeps Jonah up at night (32:33)
• Dealing with PTSD / Trauma (38:38)
• Advice for people that want to get into this line of work (42:38)
• What Jonah does in his free time (46:09)
• What countries Ahmed would like to work in (48:38)

Related Links:

• Drone Threat Intelligence, 3D Printing and Dark Networks with Mike Monnik
• GEOINT, OSINT & Facing Vicarious Trauma with Benjamin Strick
• Tsunami Torpedoes, Ukrainian USVs & Narco Subs with HI Sutton
• Drones, Robotics, AI and Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine with Samuel Bendett
• Illicit Nuclear Technology Procurement and Dark Networks with Jack Margolin

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Today I spoke with Mike Monnik, CEO of DroneSec. They focus on drone threat intelligence, documenting the latest developments in the use of drones by malicious actors. We discussed the use of drones in bank robberies, drone innovation in Myanmar, China’s role in the supply chain and much more.

You can find Mike on:

• DroneSec
• LinkedIn

• Why Mike started DroneSec (0:34)
• The most recent developments in drone threat intelligence (7:49)
• Drone bank robberies (15:59)
• Man in the middle attacks using drones (18:05)
• Tactical drone innovation in Myanmar (31:13)
• How much of the innovation is crowd-sourced and how much is indigenous to drone-involved conflicts (37:26)
• What is the next step in drone warfighting innovation (44:49)
• China’s role in the supply chain (54:47)
• How AI will affect drones (58:43)
• What keeps Mike awake at night (1:01:15)
• Will actors of the future revolve their future operations around drone capabilities? (1:04:23)
• Advice for those that want to get into this line of work, make a career switch, and businesses (1:11:22)
• Cultural recommendations (1:15:28)
• Final thoughts (1:18:34)

Related Links:

• Drones, Robotics, AI and Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine with Samuel Bendett
• AI Arms Race, Drone Warfare and Cognitive Enhancement with Paul Scharre
• ChatGPT, The Intelligence Community & Career Advice with Mike Evans
• Tsunami Torpedoes, Ukrainian USVs & Narco Subs with HI Sutton
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

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

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Today I spoke with Paul Scharre, the vice president and director of studies at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). Previously he has worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as being a team leader in the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. Scharre's latest book "Four Battlegrounds: Power in the age of artificial intelligence" discusses some of the bleeding edge issues facing US national security. We discussed the use of drones in Ukraine, limiting China's access to cutting-edge chips, data advantages and much more.

You can find Paul on:

• Website
• CNAS
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

• Why AI? (2:18)
• How being a ranger affects Paul’s view on technology (4:02)
• What Paul’s work at CNAS is like and their focus (7:19)
• The impact of the restrictions imposed on China’s ability create to chips (8:55)
• How chips affect the potential conflict over Taiwan (13:06)
• How physical and cognitive advancements can allow soldiers to meet new challenges on the battlefield (17:11)
• The use of drones in Ukraine (25:23)
• Does China have a data advantage? (34:33)
• Career Advice (42:07)
• What will be important in the job market of tomorrow (44:20)
• Cultural recommendations (48:21)
• Resources to learn about AI (49:15)

Related Links:

• Epoch
• Anthropic
• Import AI

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

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• Apple Podcast
• Google Podcast
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Today I spoke with Jordan Ponath, senior intelligence analyst at Lockheed Martin, ex-US Marine, and self-described 'data geek'. Jordan leads a team constantly on the lookout for threats to his organization using OSINT and SOCMINT techniques. In this episode, we get into the tools he and his team use as well as unconventional routes into the sector. 

You can find Jordan on:

• LinkedIn

• Jordan’s background (1:34)
• Having an unconventional background in intelligence (6:30)
• The changes to TweetDeck (8:19)
• How travelling affected Jordan (11:18)
• What a day in Jordan’s team looks like and the tools they use (14:40)
• What is the most fulfilling part of Jordan’s job? (24:13)
• The importance of clear direction from leadership and understanding of OSINT’s limits (27:00)
• What keeps Jordan up at night (31:48)
• Advice to young aspiring analysts, those looking to switch careers, and organizations looking to build intelligence capability (33:50)
• What Ahmed would have done differently as well as the importance of cyber and data in today's intelligence landscape (42:39)
• Cultural recommendations (50:35)

Related Links:

• So, You Want to be an Intelligence Analyst?
• Expert Advice For Getting Into Intelligence
• Corporate Intelligence, Global Risk & OSINT Tips with Gareth Westwood
• GEOINT, OSINT & Facing Vicarious Trauma with Benjamin Strick
• OSINT, Military Career Transition & Language Skills with Skip Schiphorst
• 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

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Today I spoke with The Rage X again, now going by his real name, Carlos. He has been closely following breaking news on conflicts since the second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. I spoke with him about his background, his process, and the importance of reading into both sides of conflicts.

You can find The Rage X on:

• Website
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Telegram

• Carlos' background (01:20)
• Creating The Rage X (12:32)
• His process (20:42)
• His favourite sources (24:01)
• Reading into both sides of conflicts (25:40)
• Having to create content designed for social media (28:04)
• His motivations (33:57)
• What is required to work around these topics (40:45)

Related Links:

• What is an Intelligence Analyst?
• So, You Want to be an Intelligence Analyst?
• Expert Advice For Getting Into Intelligence

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 we spoke with Héni Nsaibia, the man behind Menastream. Héni is among the most knowledgeable people online regarding the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. He is also a senior researcher at ACLED. We discussed his background, the situation in the region, and the key external actors.

You can find Héni Nsaibia on:

• Menastream
• ACLED

• Héni's background (0:53)
• Growing Menastream (11:11)
• Overview of the current situation in the Sahel (13:41)
• Malian government's newfound lethality with Russian support (22:36)
• The trajectory of Burkina Faso (26:24)
• Wagner's business model in Africa (29:19)
• The trajectory of Niger (31:13)
• The situation in Chad (36:55)
• How Mauritania has remained unscathed (41:51)
• The UN Missions in Mali and Niger (46:44)
• The US contribution to the region (49:06)
• 12 months outlook (52:51)
• Cultural recommendations (1:03:52)

Related Links:

• Mali 2023 Forecast
• Burkina Faso 2023 Forecast
• Russia Sahel 2023 Forecast
• Niger 2023 Forecast
• Chad 2023 Forecast
• Mauritania 2023 Forecast
• France Sahel 2023 Forecast
• European Union Sahel 2023 Forecast

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

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

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Today I spoke with Mike Evans, head of intelligence at Securitas. Mike has been working in the private intelligence sector for nearly a decade, now leading an award-winning threat and intelligence service. He also has an intelligence background within the military. In this episode, we dive into topics such as the rise of AI, getting into the industry for young analysts, and what keeps us up at night.

You can find Mike Evans on:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

• Mike's background (00:54)
• Mike's team set up and capabilities (03:28)
• Sharing information for the greater good in the private sector (07:21)
• How military intelligence shaped Mike's thinking (10:23)
• How an intelligence manager can make an impact (14:10)
• How to deal with things when they go wrong (19:33)
• ChatGPT and its role in intelligence (21:33)
• Creating a reliable and motivated sensor network (24:50)
• Incoming trends to look out for (29:24)
• Opening the door to more people for a career in intelligence (30:44)
• Intelligence misconceptions (33:49)
• Career advice (40:24)
• What does Mike look for in young analysts (46:08)
• Cultural recommendations (47:21)
• What keeps Ahmed up at night (52:19)

Related Links:

• What is an Intelligence Analyst?
• So, You Want to be an Intelligence Analyst?
• Expert Advice For Getting Into Intelligence
• Intelligence-Led Policing, OSINT and Facing PTSD with Julie Nel
• Corporate Intelligence, Global Risk and OSINT Tips with Gareth Westwood
• Skills I never knew I would need as an Intelligence Analyst

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 with Marcel Plichta. He is a PhD candidate at St. Andrews, Ex-DIA Analyst and a colleague. We discussed the details of the upcoming Grey Dynamics Intelligence course, some recent events, and what we have been into recently. 

You can find Marcel Plichta on:

• Grey Dynamics
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Daily Beast

• Update on Wagner Group (0:50)
• Sahel Week (9:02)
• Chinese Spy Balloon (15:41)
• Russian & Iranian Spearfishing (19:00)
• The Earthquake in Türkiye & Syria (22:32)
• Details of the Grey Dynamics Training / Capability Development Program (25:15)
• Underestimation of the spread of technology in Africa (31:15)
• Useful Tools (35:34)
• Cultural Recommendations (40:09)

Related Links:

• HDX Humanitarian Data Exchange
• Kahneman Daniel: Thinking, Fast & Slow
• What is an Intelligence Analyst?
• So, You Want to be an Intelligence Analyst?
• Expert Advice For Getting Into Intelligence

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

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

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I spoke to Benjamin Strick, director of investigations at the Centre for Information Resilience. He leads teams using open source intelligence to support civil society, media, government and accountability mechanisms. He is also a Bellingcat contributor and previously worked as an investigator at BBC Africa Eye.

You can find Benjamin Strick on:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Facebook

• Benjamin's background (2:46)
• Investigative diligence and the power of collaboration in OSINT (6:02)
• Mapping complex situations (7:52)
• Benjamin's most fulfilling project (12:13)
• Adding value and being a specialist (15:20)
• Generalists versus Specialists (19:19)
• Facing vicarious trauma (25:14)
• Why he does OSINT tutorials on YouTube (32:45)
• Digital literacy (35:48)
• Tools and advice (42:17)
• Advice on training (46:51)
• The importance of being to write for intelligence (49:35)
• What media Benjamin is consuming at the moment (53:16)

Related Articles:

• What is an Intelligence Analyst?
• So, You Want to be an Intelligence Analyst?
• Expert Advice For Getting Into Intelligence

Resources on Vicarious Trauma:

• How to Maintain Mental Hygiene as an Open Source Researcher
• Vicarious trauma and OSINT — a practical guide

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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Welcome back for season two of the Grey Dynamics Podcast! We're kicking things off by talking to Chinese and Arabic OSINT trainer, Skip Schiphorst. Skip is an ex-Dutch Royal Marine who went onto do Chinese studies and now teaches OSINT skills.

You can find Skip Schiphorst on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn

• Skip's background (1:08)
• Language learning tips and tricks (20:06)
• The social importance of learning a language (30:07)
• Teaching a Chinese and Arabic OSINT course (39:44)
• Researching workshop (44:55)
• Understanding different national perspectives (47:43)
• The importance of analysis and critical thinking (54:40)
• What media Skip is consuming at the moment (59:08)
• Advice (1:02:25)

Related Articles:

• What is an Intelligence Analyst?
• So, You Want to be an Intelligence Analyst?

The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!

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

Subscribe to Grey Dynamics

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.