SummaryDennis Eger (LinkedIn) and Shawn Nilius (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss open-source intelligence. Combined, the two have over six decades of service to the U.S. Army. 

What You’ll LearnIntelligence

What is Open-Source Intelligence 

How the US Army utilizes and collects OSINT 

OSINT across the Intelligence Community

How OSINT has impacted the War in Ukraine

Reflections

The power of information and how you use it

Cyber ethics

And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week“If [civilians are] taking a video and posting it, they become in the cycle … The amount of things that people do on the internet that leaves their data or their information out there – Their data becomes big part of the intelligence cycle and they probably don't even know that they're doing it.” – Dennis Eger.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts*

My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023)

Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)

Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023)

Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023)

*Beginner Resources*

A Brief History of the US Army, R. Guina, The Military Wallet (2024) [Short article]

What is Open-Source Intelligence? OSINT Dojo, YouTube (2023) [7 min. video]

A Brief History of Open Source Intelligence, C. Colquhoun, Bellingcat (2016) [Short article]

DEEPER DIVEBooks

OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023) 

Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023)

Open Source Intelligence Methods and Tools: A Practical Guide to Online Intelligence, N. A. Hassan & R. Hijazi (Apress, 2018) 

Primary Sources 

The IC OSINT Strategy (2024) 

Invasion of Ukraine on Google Maps (2022)

Ethical Frameworks in Open-Source Intelligence (2022) 

Open-Source Intelligence, Department of the Army (2012) 

Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004) 

*Wildcard Resource*

While OSINT may seem like the new kid on the intelligence block, its foundations have actually been around perhaps longer than any other -INT.

During the Civil War, the Bureau of Military Information collected open-source information from Southern newspapers to track the Confederate army. Check out this letter from Abraham Lincoln citing intelligence gathered on the location of Southern troops. 

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