SpyCast SpyCast

Summary
Yossi Kuperwasser (Twitter; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the Israeli intelligence community. Yossi is the former head of the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence.


*FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE*


What You’ll Learn
Intelligence

The layout of Israeli intelligence

The First and Second Intifadas

Israel’s complicated position in the Middle East

Relationship between Israeli and American ICs

Reflections

Intelligence as a learning process

The importance and difficulty of trust 

And much, much more …


*FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE*



Quote of the Week
“That's the problem of intelligence - It's an ongoing learning process. And if you don't learn all the time to enable you to adjust to the developing situation, you are going to fail.” – Yossi Kuperwasser.
Resources 
*SpyCasts*


The Counterterrorism and Counter WMD Strategist with Dexter Ingram (2022)


Son of Hamas, Spy for Israel with Mosab Hassan Yousef and Gonen Ben Yitzhak (2010)


Israeli Intelligence and the Jonathan Pollard Spy Case with Ron Olive (2007)

*Beginner Resources*


History of Israel, Encyclopedia Britannica [encyclopedia entry]


What you need to know about the 1987 Intifada, PBS (2019) [article]


The Oslo Accords, 25 Years Later, Washington Post (2018) [video]


1967 War: Six Days that Changed the Middle East, J. Bowen, BBC (2017) [article]


The Israel-Palestine Conflict: Brief, Simple History, Vox (2016) [video]

*Wildcard Resource(s)*

The Little Drummer Girl – A fictional novel about a double agent working for the Israelis, written by famed spy author John le Carré in 1983. 


*FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE*

Summary
Nigel West (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Germany’s military intelligence service during WWII, the Abwehr. Nigel is known as the expert’s expert on spy history.

What You’ll Learn
Intelligence

The rise and fall of the Abwehr 


The 20th of July plot to kill Hitler & Operation Valkyrie 

How effective German intelligence was during WWII 

How “Nazi” the Abwehr was

Reflections

The search for truth across generations

The power of historical documents


EXTENDED SHOW NOTES HERE!

Quote of the Week
“The Germans were ruthless. They had really good intelligence on all the bridges. They knew exactly what had to be captured in advance. The bridges would then be held, so as to allow the tanks over, and the tanks wouldn't wait to attack strong points. They would just go directly ahead in order to achieve their objectives.” – Nigel West.
Glossary


Abwehr: Germany’s military intelligence service from 1920-1945, serving both the Riechswehr and Wehrmacht. Translates to “defense.”


Reichswehr: The name for German armed forces from 1919-1935, under the Weimar Republic and first two years of the Third Reich. Per the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was very limited in arms and personnel. Translates to “Reich Defence.” 


Wehrmacht: The name for German Armed Forces from 1935-1945 under Nazi Germany. The heavily militarized and manned Wehrmacht illustrated Hitler’s intentions to expand Germany. Translates to “Defense Force.” 


Sicherheitsdienst: The intelligence agency of the Schutzstaffel, or SS. Translates to “Security Service.”


Gestapo: Nazi Germany’s political police force. Notorious for their brutality and representation of Nazi authoritarianism. Full name Geheime Staatspolizei, translating to “Secret State Police.”

EXTENDED SHOW NOTES HERE!

Resources 
SURFACE SKIM
Featured Resource(s)


Hitler’s Nest of Vipers: The Rise of the Abwehr, N. West (Frontline, 2022)


Hitler's Trojan Horse: The Fall of the Abwehr, N. West (Frontline, 2023)

*SpyCasts*


Nazis on the Potomac – with former National Park Service Chief Historian Bob Sutton (2022)


A Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany – 101-Year-Old Marthe Cohn’s Incredible True Story (2021)

*Beginner Resources*


July Plot, Britannica (2023) [encyclopedia entry)


From War to War in Europe: 1919-1939, National WW11 Museum (2018) [Background on Interwar Period]


The Treaty of Versailles, What Did the Big Three Want?, YouTube (2016) [3 min. video]


German Chief Spy Admiral Canaris, P. Kross, Warfare History Network (2014)


Abwehr, A. Lerner, Encyclopedia.com (n.d.)


EXTENDED SHOW NOTES HERE!

Summary
Cathy Hackl (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the potential implications of the metaverse on intelligence. Cathy has been called the “Godmother of the Metaverse.”

What You’ll Learn
Intelligence

What the metaverse is

Security and counterintelligence in a virtual world

Futurism within intelligence agencies 

Potential risks and consequences of the metaverse

Reflections

How virtual spaces can affect our physical world

The necessity to evolve alongside technology

And much, much more …

Episode Notes
The web will continue to evolve and change with time, but what’s coming next? And how will this evolution affect the ways that intelligence organizations around the world conduct their operations?
This week on SpyCast, Cathy Hackl joins Andrew to explain what the metaverse is, what we can expect from living in this new virtual world, and how intelligence agencies can begin planning for the Web 3 future. Cathy Hackl has been dubbed the “Godmother of the Metaverse” 

Resources
Featured Resource


Into the Metaverse: The Essential Guide to the Business Opportunities of the Web3 Era, Cathy Hackl (Bloomsbury, 2023) 


Metaverse Marketing [Cathy’s podcast]


*Beginner Resources*


What Is the Metaverse, Exactly?, Wired (2022) [Article]


Web 3.0 Explained In 5 Minutes, YouTube (2022) [5 min. Video]


12 new tech terms you need to understand the future, R. Gray, BBC (2018)


*SpyCasts*


How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game – with Mike Susong (2022)


Trafficking Data: The Digital Struggle with China -- with Aynne Kokas (2022)


The FBI & Cyber – with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 1 of 2)


The FBI & Cyber – with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 2 of 2) 


*Wildcard Resource*
Watch the world’s first metaverse music video, Snoop Dogg’s “House I Built,” here!

Summary
Shane Harris (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the role of intelligence in the Ukraine conflict one year after it began. Shane reports on intelligence for the Washington Post and is the author of two books.

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence 

Where we are with the war in Ukraine

The role intelligence agencies are playing in the conflict

The leadership of Zelensky and Putin

What it’s like to report on spies

Dealing with sources inside the intelligence agencies


Reflections

The tenacity of the Ukrainian people and army

History as both repetitive and unpredictable 


Episode Notes
This week on SpyCast, Shane Harris of The Washington Post joins Andrew to reflect on the previous year and discuss the role of intelligence within the war in Ukraine. He has been writing about these issues for more than two decades, including a period with the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of two books, The Watchers, on the rise of surveillance in the US, and @War, on the rise of the military-internet complex. He was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2021.

Quote of the Week
“At the outset, [I] believed that what we were looking at was probably a pretty swift Russian victory … They would come in, they would decapitate the central government in Kiev in the first 72 hours, and it would be bloody, and it would be violent, but that Russia would prevail because they were deemed to have the superior military in terms of technology experience numbers. Turns out, all those things were spectacularly wrong.” – Shane Harris.

Resources 
*SpyCasts*


How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023)


Dealing with Russia A Conversation with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson (2022)


Becoming a Russian Intelligence Officer with Janosh Neumann (2022)


The Information Battlespace: Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette (2022)


*Beginner Resources*


Has Putin's war failed and what does Russia want?, P. Kirby, BBC (2023)


A Brief History of Modern Ukraine, BBC (2022) [YouTube video]


Russia-Ukraine Relations in 60 Seconds, CBC News (2022)

Summary
Aliza Bran (LinkedIn, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her role as Media Relations Manager at the International Spy Museum. Aliza is a D.C. native and graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. 

What You’ll Learn
Intelligence

The media and intelligence

International Spy Museum Artifacts

Espionage fact vs. fiction

The history of The International Spy Museum

Reflections

Creativity & Ingenuity 

Growing up in the DMV 

And much, much more …

Episode Notes
Aliza Bran’s passion and excitement for the world of SPY is contagious. Around the office of the International Spy Museum, Aliza is known for her cheerful demeanor, quick wit, and intensely creative mind. She’s been working at SPY for six years now, four of those years as our Media Relations Manager. 
How does Aliza navigate the ever-changing media landscape and represent the International Spy Museum on this worldwide stage? What are Aliza’s favorite memories, artifacts, and exhibits from SPY? What makes her love this work so much, and what skills do you need to build a career in media relations? Tune in to find out. 
And… 
Aliza has been particularly busy these past few weeks covering the news surrounding the Chinese Spy Balloon. For a taste of Aliza’s work, find articles and video on the subject that she orchestrated here, here, here, and here. 

Quote of the Week
“Part of it for me is knowing that we live in a very polarized world right now and I want to have a sense of our full audience, which is everyone. So I'm going to look at stories, places that aren't natural fits for where I tend to go. Because if people go there to read the news, I want to know what they're reading, I want to know what interests them. I want to know what people are excited about, worried about, looking at.” – Aliza Bran.

Resources 
*SpyCasts*

My Life Looking at Spies & the Media with Paul Lashmar (2021)
*Beginner Resources*


What is Media Relations?, Nancy Shenker, ClearVoice (2021) [Blog Post]


Paid vs. Owned vs. Earned Media: What's the Difference?, Indeed (2021) [Article]

Books


The Good Assassin, S. Talty (Mariner, 2020)


The Alice Network, K. Quinn (William Morrow, 2017)

Articles

Deadly Women, Dirty Laundry, and a Shootout With The IRA, Reaper Feed (2020)
Video


Former CIA Operative Explains How Spies Use Disguises, WIRED (2019)


Meet a Former CIA Chief of Disguise, Atlas Obscura (2020)


Alias, ABC (2001-2006)

Artifacts from SPY’s Collection 

S*****m Concealment

Aston Martin DB5

Iron Concealment Device

*Wildcard Resource*
Check out the Refinery29 article that features Aliza’s SPY expertise applied to the collection and analysis of Taylor Swift-related intelligence. 

Summary
Alan Kohler joins Andrew to discuss the FBI’s counterintelligence division. He is a recipient of the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Counterintelligence Investigation. 
***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE***

What You’ll Learn
Intelligence

Counterintelligence vs. Counterespionage

How the FBI recruit’s foreign agents 

Ideological motivations behind spying

Effect of technology on counterintelligence

Reflections

Staying grounded under pressure 

The value of creativity


Notes
Alan Kohler (LinkedIn, Website) has been the FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence since 2020. Alan and Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) talk all things counterintelligence.

***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE***

*SpyCasts*


The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 1 (2022)


The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 2 (2022)


My Global Career as a Female FBI Agent with Kathy Stearman (2021)


The FBI Way with Counterintelligence Spy Chief Frank Figliuzzi (2021)


***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE***

*Beginner Resources*


What We Investigate, FBI (n.d.) [webpage]


FAQ’S, FBI (n.d.) [webpage]


US Opens Counterintelligence Investigation into China Every 12 Hours (Dir. Wray), MSNBC (2022) [video]


What We Know About China’s Spy Agency, Bloomberg Originals (2019) [video]


Hollow Nickel/Rudolf Abel, FBI (n.d.) [Article]


NCSC Mission, Vision, and Goals, ODNI (n.d.) [Website]


Glossary: 


Counterintelligence: Information gathered, and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage or other intelligence activities


FBI Attaché: a special agent assigned to a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to liaise with local law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They pursue terrorist, intelligence, and criminal threats with international dimensions. 


Occam’s Razor: a rule of thumb theory that states when you are faced with competing explanations for the same phenomenon, the simplest one is probably the correct one. Attributed to William of Ockham, a 14th century English theologian. 


***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE***