OSINT with ShadowDragon & Digital Tools For Modern Investigations

In this episode, hosts Nico ‘Dutch OSINT Guy’ Dekens and David Cook welcome special guest Jackie Giunta, a corporate intelligence expert with a military intelligence background. Together, they dive deep into the complex intersection of national security, biotechnology, and corporate intelligence. They discuss the rising challenges, and opportunities, in open-source intelligence, the potential risks in global biotech supply chains, insider threats, and the growing influence of nation-state adversaries. Join us as we explore the importance of private-public partnerships and proactive approaches to safeguarding the biotech industry in an increasingly complex global landscape. Special Guest: Jackie Giunta.

This episode is all about the intricate process of using OSINT to monitor elections, with a focus on security and disinformation. The conversation explores the challenges faced by analysts as they track social media trends, identify potential threats, and combat myths and false information that can undermine election integrity. They highlight how disinformation campaigns, foreign influence, and deepfakes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it crucial for analysts to stay vigilant. The episode focuses on how local authorities and businesses can prepare for potential unrest surrounding elections and the vital role of monitoring tools in ensuring a smooth and secure process. Special Guest: Brye Ravettine.

In this episode of the ShadowDragon Podcast (Season 3, Episode 9), Russ Robson, a former Special Operations soldier and author of Unconventional Influence: The Ethical Psyop Manual for Modern Business Warfare, joins the show. Russ shares insights from his fascinating career journey—from a bluegrass drummer and business owner to joining the Army at 34 as a combat medic, and eventually becoming a Psyop specialist. He delves into his experiences working with the Colombian army on influence operations and narrative warfare. Russ also discusses the power of storytelling in business, using target audience analysis, and the parallels between psychological operations in the military and the corporate world. This episode offers a deep dive into the layers of identity, culture, and messaging, providing valuable lessons for both military and business strategies. Don't miss this compelling conversation about unconventional influence and its applications in modern warfare and beyond! Special Guest: Russ Robson.

Podcast Summary: ShadowDragon - Malware Alert on Social Media In this episode of the ShadowDragon podcast, Nico "Dutch OSINT Guy" Dekens delves into a recent surge in malicious online activity linked to trending topics on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Meta (Facebook), and Instagram. The discussion centers around a disturbing trend observed on August 8th, where malicious actors hijacked popular hashtags, including those related to the UK riots and other global events, by posting deceptive content designed to lure users into clicking dangerous links. These malicious posts often feature images flagged as "sensitive content," which, when clicked, direct users to a series of redirects that ultimately lead to scam sites, frequently with pornographic content. Nico warns listeners about the common characteristics of these posts, which include accounts with English-sounding usernames followed by a series of numbers and profile pictures of Asian-looking women. Nico also highlights how these tactics have been used across various events, from the Paris Olympics to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict. The episode emphasizes the importance of caution when engaging with such content online and provides insights into how malware analysis tools, like Any.Run and VirusTotal, can help identify the threats posed by these malicious links. The host concludes by urging listeners to stay vigilant and avoid falling prey to these social media scams. Listeners are encouraged to like, subscribe, and share the ShadowDragon podcast and to reach out to the host, known online as "Dutch OSINT Guy," for more information.

Podcast Summary In this episode of the ShadowDragon podcast, Nico Dekens discusses the current geopolitical tensions and disturbances monitored through online platforms. The focus is on the recent actions of Israel against Hamas leaders, which have caused significant unrest and propaganda, particularly from Iran. The podcast highlights the use of AI-generated imagery in influence campaigns and the possibility of escalating conflicts involving rocket attacks and military mobilization in the region. The episode also touches on the unrest in the United Kingdom, sparked by false narratives following a deadly stabbing incident. Nico emphasizes the role of social media in spreading misinformation and the importance of monitoring these platforms to understand the underlying causes and actors involved in these conflicts. Overall, the podcast provides an overview of the global tensions involving Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, as well as the social unrest in the UK related to migrant communities. Nico stresses the significance of early warning and monitoring to stay informed and prepared for potential escalations. Please like, subscribe, and share the podcast to stay updated on these important developments.

ShadowDragon OSINT Geopolitics and More Podcast Summary Host: Nico Dekens, “The Dutch OSINT Guy” (follow Nico on X: @dutch_osintguy) Episode Focus: Critical cybersecurity advisory on state-sponsored Russian media using advanced software for foreign malign influence activities. Key Points Covered: Introduction: The episode delves into a joint cybersecurity advisory by prominent intelligence and security agencies from the United States, Netherlands, and Canada. Meliorator AI Software: Russian actors are using covert artificial intelligence software called Meliorator to manipulate social media. The software, employed by Russian state-sponsored media RT, creates fake personas to disseminate disinformation on platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter). Capabilities of Meliorator: The software can generate numerous realistic social media profiles, mimicking typical user behavior by posting, liking, and sharing content. It amplifies pre-existing false narratives with sophisticated, tailored messages. Technical Details: Meliorator comprises various components, including Brigadir (administrative panel for managing bots), Taras (back-end software for handling bot identities and actions), and a Mongo database for storing bot identities and automated actions. It avoids detection by using AI-generated profiles, proxy IPs, and alternative user-agent strings to bypass platform verification. Obfuscation Techniques: Meliorator uses IP obfuscation, authentication bypass, and user-agent manipulation to hide bot activities. Advisory Recommendations: Social media platforms, especially X, are urged to validate human operation behind accounts, enhance authentication and verification processes, and monitor suspicious user-agent strings. Implement Secure-by-Default settings, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other privacy-focused features. Conclusion: Staying vigilant and informed is crucial to protect against disinformation campaigns. Previous podcasts discussed the abuse of commercially or freely available AI for spreading false narratives, but Meliorator represents a more advanced threat. Closing Remarks: - Nico encourages listeners to stay safe and informed. - Listeners are invited to suggest topics for future episodes. Thank you for tuning in to the ShadowDragon OSINT Geopolitics and More Podcast. See you in the next episode! Show Notes: State-Sponsored Russian Media Leverages Meliorator Software for Foreign Malign Influence Activity, found here: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2024/240709.pdf Follow ShadowDragon on social media for more up-to-date news and information

Key Points Discussed: • Monitoring and Disruption Efforts: OpenAI collaborates with open-source intelligence practitioners to monitor internet activity and identify potential misuse of their language models by nation-states and other actors. They aim to disrupt sophisticated threats through continuous improvements in their safety systems and collaboration with industry partners. • Recent Trends: OpenAI has detected and disrupted operations from actors in Russia, China, Iran, and a commercial company in Israel. These operations, including ones named "Bad Grammar" and "Doppelganger," used AI to generate content but failed to engage authentically with audiences. • Techniques and Tactics: The actors use AI to produce high volumes of content, mixing AI-generated and traditional formats, and faking engagement by generating replies to their own posts. Despite these efforts, they struggled to reach authentic audiences. • Defensive Strategies: OpenAI employs defensive design policies, such as friction-imposing features, to thwart malicious use. They also share detailed threat indicators with industry peers to enhance the effectiveness of disruptions. • Case Studies: Examples include Russian and Chinese networks targeting various regions with limited engagement, and an Iranian network generating anti-US and anti-Israeli content. These operations highlight the ongoing challenge of AI misuse. • Open Source Intelligence: Dekens discusses his work with Shadow Dragon, including a white paper on using open-source intelligence to identify and monitor troll and bot armies. He explains how prompt error messages can be a key indicator of malicious activity.

The Shadow Dragon Special Edition Podcast Introduction: - The podcast covers open source intelligence (OSINT) and geopolitics. - Topics include military bases on alert, global protests, and elections. Military Alert in Europe: - Several U.S. military bases in Europe are on heightened alert (state of alert Charlie, second highest level). - The alert is due to potential terrorist threats, indicating specific intelligence pointing to possible attacks. - Bases affected include the European Command Headquarters in Stuttgart and Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Global Protests: - Increasing protests against Western facilities, particularly banks, by groups identifying as anti-globalist and pro-Palestine. - These groups target businesses with ties to Israel through physical and digital attacks. Elections and Political Disturbances: - Protests related to election outcomes, especially in France, where there is significant opposition to Le Pen and her right-wing party. - Demonstrations, such as the large protest at Place de la République on June 30, are becoming more common. - Monitoring shows that left-wing and pro-Palestine groups are joining forces against right-wing politics and large companies linked to Israel. - Similar patterns observed in elections in the Netherlands, Argentina, and the U.S. Conclusion: - The podcast emphasizes the global scale of these issues and encourages listeners to visit their website for more information.

Nico, the Director of Intelligence Collection Innovation, is joined by Daniel Clemens, CEO, David Cook, Director of National Security, and Elliott, the CTO of Shadow Dragon. The team discusses the dynamic nature of the internet and how their tools must continuously adapt to these changes. Elliott shares insights into the complexities of developing scalable and effective open-source intelligence tools that can keep up with the rapid evolution of online platforms and data. Nico and the team bring up the feedback from customers and some of our favorite capabilities of Horizon, the OSINT Platform. Here are some highlighted capabilities: • Speed of Horizon is unmatched • Ease of data integration • Mobile, on-the-go capability as a web-based platform • Timeline feature allowing investigators and analysts to visualize artifacts on a timeline OSINT is vital for due diligence and knowing your customers, employees, and partners. The guys talk about some examples and move into some current events, including the protests on college campuses. Publicly available information (PAI) offers a window into peoples’ digital lives to identify bad habits. The guys talk about influence operations from adversarial nations and the linkages in the digital world. As we all live more online, adversarial nations and bad actors have injected malign information meant to influence people ultimately outcomes. David brought up a propaganda playbook that fits into today’s modern, digital world where people are being influenced from never-ending streams of online information without, or instead of, validating ideas among friends, family or small groups to provide a check on actions. The concept is discussed on the backdrop of campus protests. Daniel stresses the importance of mindset – whether you’re an investigator, entrepreneur, or artist, “mindset is everything in winning.” Having a mindset that doesn’t need external validation from society creates better outcomes. “You have to be believe that you are going to win, and be surprised when you lose,” has been Daniel’s mindset and the mindset he encourages other to take taking on a task. Daniel’s investigative experience draws on this mindset to ask the right questions to get the right answers. This podcast is available in video and audio versions at your favorite podcast outlet, popular video platforms, and the ShadowDragon website. Subscribe to the podcast to stay up to date on the latest. Thank you for listening.

Hosts: Joe Stradinger, EdgeTheory CEO Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO Elliott Anderson, ShadowDragon CTO David Cook, Director – National Security Daniel and David traveled to University of Mississippi last month to the inaugural National Center for Narrative Intelligence (NCNI) Summit hosted by EdgeTheory. The guys talk about the Summit, Joe’s path to becoming EdgeTheory’s founder and CEO, and the importance of storytelling and narratives in a dynamic world. This time around, we spoke about Narrative Intelligence and how OSINT is similar in finding sources but can sometimes produce different products. Today, the amount of publicly available information (PAI) is expanding every day, which gives people, companies, and governments more information to synthesize and investigate than ever before. ‘Chatter’ online can grow and form narratives at incredible speed and resonance, creating often-times outsized impacts in society, markets, elections, and so much more. Listen in as Daniel queues in on EdgeTheory’s “Intercontinental Ballistic Narratives,” or ICBNs, to ask who is the greatest manipulator of narratives? Joe breaks down the different ways EdgeTheory sees between Russia, China and Iran utilizing ICBNs to subvert Western Nations. As geographic borders fade in today’s online struggle, adversaries ‘spoof’ or manipulate where the origin of their cognitive attacks on populations come from, making it more difficult to quantify risk. Listen for more insight on: • Advanced Persistent Manipulators (APMs) • Joe’s take on AI (hint: “AI is a math trick, it’s a very good math trick, but it’s a math trick“) • Utilizing OSINT and Narrative Intelligence to gain decision advantage • Navigating a ‘post-truth world’ Visit EdgeTheory’s website to learn more: https://edgetheory.com/ Learn more about the National Center for Narrative Intelligence here: https://ncni.us/ This podcast is available in video and audio versions at your favorite podcast outlet, popular video platforms, and the ShadowDragon website. Subscribe to the podcast to stay up to date on the latest. Thank you for listening. Special Guest: Joe Stradinger.

About this Episode Hosts: Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO Elliott Anderson, ShadowDragon CTO Nico Dekens, ShadowDragon Director of Intelligence and Innovation Collection (aka Dutch_OSINTguy) David Cook, ShadowDragon Director of National Security In this podcast episode, the hosts and guests delve into various topics, from the importance of rest and mindfulness to the challenges of investigative work and the impact of technology on attention spans. Through personal anecdotes and professional experiences, they highlight the need for patience, methodical workflow, and critical thinking in investigative processes, emphasizing the value of asking the right questions rather than seeking immediate answers. They also discuss the evolving nature of technology and its effects on human cognition, cautioning against the pitfalls of constant stimulation and advocating for a balance between productivity and mental well-being. Furthermore, they draw parallels between investigative work and historical societal shifts, reflecting on the tension between industrialism and agrarian workflows and the implications for modern-day practices. Ultimately, the episode offers valuable insights into navigating the complexities of investigative work in an increasingly fast-paced and technology-driven world, emphasizing the importance of rest, reflection, and methodical inquiry.

About this Episode Hosts: Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO Elliott Anderson, ShadowDragon CTO Nico Dekens, ShadowDragon Director of Intelligence and Innovation Collection (aka Dutch_OSINTguy) David Cook, ShadowDragon Director of National Security In our last podcast of 2023, the ShadowDragon crew talked about the importance of veterans’ service, disinformation, and gave some of our best predictions for 2024. One of ShadowDragon’s newest employees, David Cook, talks about running a non-profit focused on Special Operations Forces (SOF) advocacy: • The Special Operations Association of America (SOAA.org) is a veteran service organization that advocates for the past, present and future SOF community. • David first found SOAA during the Afghanistan withdrawal and has been involved ever since. • SOAA, Congress, and several other organizations’ use of open-source information during the withdrawal to help Americans and our Afghan allies. • Bringing service to veterans everywhere we go – ShadowDragon included. • Launching a SkillBridge partnership to assist active-duty service members transitioning to the civilian world. • OSINT use in the Afghanistan withdrawal • Injection of false information into crisis situations and how to triage fact from fiction. Automation in OSINT, according to Nico, the Dutch OSINT Guy: • OSINT is an arduous process – automation can be a powerful tool in highlighting what’s important. • Utilizing ChatGPT to ‘stress-test’ narratives and large amounts of content to narrow down actor motives. • Automated image searches are best used in open-source investigations where the margin for human error is high. • Automation allows investigators and analysts to scale with the amount and volume of information and data that is ubiquitous today. Dependency of Large-Language Models (LLMs), and other tech: • Utilizing LLMs for analysis must be used with caution – there are AI ‘hallucinations’ that return false information. • Remember: the models are trained using data from humans, so it still has a margin of error. • Investigators and analysts should be aware of AI ‘hallucinations’ within their OSINT tools they use. • Small cognitive conditioning happens with the dependency of technology and devices – we’re in for an interesting year with external catalysts (election, emerging LLMs/deepfake tech, etc.). “2024 is gonna be…crazy”, Daniel Clemens, CEO of ShadowDragon • People are not going to be able to trust what hear and see at the end of 2024 due to deepfake technology advances, segregation in the digital world manifesting itself in the physical world. • Regulation for ‘disinformation’ will not go anywhere, but there will be broad discussion and public discourse surrounding automated information – videos, audio recordings, and images. • Disinformation needs to be re-branded and specifically defined in contrast to foreign malign influence operations. Elliott’s OSINT recommendations: • The popularity of OSINT will spurn regulatory action and we’ll see laws made and legal decisions on OSINT. Daniel’s OSINT recommendations: • The value of discernment will be ‘gold’ and being able to deconstruct what information is in front of them will need to be developed and honed. • The ‘AI’ buzzword in OSINT will start to collapse – but some capabilities will get better because of automation, especially Geo-Spatial Intelligence (GEOINT), geo-political use-cases, and supply chain risk management. David’s OSINT recommendations: • More people will find they’ve been utilizing open-source information and creating subsequent intelligence than previously thought, re-valuing OSINT as a sector to the upside, broadening and expanding what OSINT is. • OSINT as an intelligence discipline will take share from GEOINT and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT). • AI and automation will create an ‘information inequality’ where a premium is placed on the truth. Nico’s OSINT recommendations: • More and more people will understand that tradecraft in OSINT is so important. • Understanding, or the lack of understanding, the tradecraft, will dictate how good or how bad any regulation or legislation will be surrounding OSINT. • There will be more charlatans in the OSINT space. Listen to the full podcast for all the guys’ book and podcast recommendations. This podcast is available in video and audio versions at your favorite podcast outlet, popular video platforms, and the ShadowDragon website. Subscribe to the podcast to stay up to date on the latest. Thank you for listening.

About this Episode Hosts: Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO Elliott Anderson, ShadowDragon CTO Nico Dekens, ShadowDragon Director of Intelligence and Innovation Collection (aka Dutch_OSINTguy) This time around the guys get together and talk about breaking down systems, especially as it relates to online data. You might be surprised to discover how social media algorithms are self-radicalizing people, computer experts are not what they used to be, and artificial intelligence could be headed down a destructive path. They visit the past with a look at what open source intelligence was like ten years ago and glimpse what the future might look like with artificial intelligence and Apple Vision Pro goggles. It is all here as three old school open source intelligence investigators once again look at the world through the perspective of analytical intelligence. Reasons we are seeing a recent increase in hacker and breach data activity, likely due to: • School summer break gives kids more free time • Ukraine war personnel returning to computers from battle lines • Hacker message boards feuding and hacking each other Here is what we are seeing when we interview computer job candidates: • Many claim to be an “expert of experts” without the underlying basic knowledge • These days people rarely build computers from parts – Apple security may be part of that • Programmers throw around the term API and then cannot explain an API Nico gives us a glimpse of the evolution of his OSINT work: • Used to manually log into various accounts to make them look active daily • Over time the rise of hundreds of viable platforms required scaling account activity • Now finds that AI and ML results are outdated, biased, or untrue and does not use them for OSINT The guys discuss modern day pros and cons of OSINT data collection: • Elliott finds people trust their niche communities and reveal more in those platforms • Content is moving from text to photos, moving images, and multiple languages, creating challenges • Analysts need to understand various AI programming languages and methodologies to vet the assumptions that produced the results • OSINT data collection processed through artificial intelligence is being questioned and invalidated in courts Social media continues to influence society in unchecked ways: • Social media algorithms have become quicker and more comprehensive in showing content that feeds your interests • People are essentially becoming self-radicalized online through constant reinforcement of their beliefs • Terrorist groups are getting better at planting seeds pushed by algorithms The potential for chaos and societal disruption is increasing: • Overloading systems and organizations are old concepts being applied in new ways through technology • Immigration policies need to address feelings of displacement, accelerated by slow processes and online radicalization • The creation of fake AI-generated content has the potential to push unstable people into violent action The guys continue the in-depth discussion, further exploring challenges and scenarios brought on by technology, especially that crossing into the world of OSINT. This podcast is available in video and audio versions at your favorite podcast outlet, popular video platforms, and the ShadowDragon website. Subscribe to the podcast to stay up to date on the latest. Thank you for listening.

About this Episode Hosts: Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO Nico Dekens (aka Dutch_OSINTguy), ShadowDragon Director of Intelligence and Collection This time it’s a one-on-one conversation as Daniel and Nico cover the latest news in and outside the OSINT world. Their intel perspective on the news is fascinating, but the discussions between the headlines make this episode even more compelling. Listen in as the guys discuss the increasing importance of incident response, crisis management, and operational security, while throwing in advice on protesting, voting, personal security awareness, and more that will add clarity in an ever-changing digital world. Silicon Valley Bank • Learn what went wrong in 60 seconds • Keyword monitoring detected early what other banks were at risk (i.e., Credit Suisse) • Disruptors started pushing false messages about US and EU bank failures • Getting messages, true or false, out to one or two key influencers can topple a company quickly • OSINT data could help drive aggressive investment strategies Extinction Rebellion (XR) • Protest group was infiltrated by Dutch law enforcement • Group feels abused being investigated by the same technique used on terrorists • Amnesty International calls the working method of the police and judiciary "particularly problematic" • Police have an obligation to maintain public order and prevent civil unrest Update: Stabbing Incidents and Alerts in Europe • There have been more stabbing incidents and lone wolf attacks since we discussed the rising trend in a recent episode • U.S. defense employee was stabbed in the United Kingdom near her GCHQ office • Intel agencies issued alerts for increased risk to Vienna prayer houses from Islamic State jihadis • Brussels metro stations are on high alert; U.S. embassy issued an alert for stabbing threat Terrorist Threat Response • Islamic terrorists may go silent for a while, but they are playing a long game and will return • Include native foreign language and dialects for OSINT search queries • Individuals need to increase situational awareness and safety protocols Breached.vc Hacker Forum Owner Arrested • Young man arrested and labeled “kingpin” of hacker info sharing stie • Suspect Conor Brian Fitzpatrick of Peekskill, NY looks like every hacker kid of the last 25 years • Profile does not fit old school hardcore criminal type • Hacker surprisingly made basic mistakes with operational security (opsec) • Unless law enforcement has a replacement in place, the forum will re-emerge elsewhere Donald Trump Announced Pending Arrest • More social media responses are from the left than the right • Messages are so extreme there is an indication they may be generated by bots • People on the right are not responding or mobilizing as they did with January 6th events • The realistic deep fake photos have had a limited effectiveness Deep Fake Tools Are Getting Better • The quality of fakes is getting so good they are making into mainstream media • Nico likes tools from Open AI, Midjourney, and HuggingFace.co • With text to image get very specific with visual details, but also perspective, camera angle, lens, etc. • People are creating AI-generated text and visual content without proper attribution Join us again for more fun discussions about social media, open source intelligence, law enforcement, media manipulation, and the world at large. Look for upcoming guest appearances by other intelligence professionals. This podcast is available in video and audio versions at your favorite podcast outlet, popular video platforms, and the ShadowDragon website. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Thank you for listening.

About this Episode Hosts: Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO Elliott Anderson, ShadowDragon CTO Nico Dekens, ShadowDragon Director of Intelligence and Innovation Collection (aka Dutch_OSINTguy) The guys are on top of the latest espionage and OSINT news around the world. From lone wolf activity to coordinated attacks, they examine recent events from an intelligence perspective, discussing new methodology and emerging patterns. In a world where it isn’t always easy to know what’s real and what to dismiss as disinformation, we look at data to tell the true story. Islamic Terrorism: • An uprise of lone wolf attacks by the Islamic State have been observed in in Europe. Different than the terrorist cells we saw around 2015, but similar methods for achieving maximum damage with a knife. • There is more activity than the last five years so there's clearly something going on. We hope to get more insight on if these were orchestrated or coordinated attacks. • Islamic State simply wants to show they are still present and can do whatever they want when they want. That scares people and also makes some people choose sides. Tyranny Against Farmers: • Farmers in Europe are rising up against strict limits on emissions and nitrogen and have been aggressively protesting, blocking roads and going to politicians’ homes to make their point. • Farmers seek to work out a long-term plan with the government, but so far it hasn't been going that well. It takes time to make big changes. The US took 12 years to switch consumers from analog to digital TV. • Reminiscent of how the United States was started with overburdensome government interference impacting those without appropriate representation. Irregular Warfare/Asymmetric Warfare: • It is all about disrupting society through pinching. Russian election influence didn’t just pick one side, they picked both sides. • It took a long time for many to realize the ability of the internet to interfere with geopolitics. The vast majority will never spot the manipulation. • Irregular warfare uses hacker math to find two or three low-risk vulnerabilities that can affect one super critical vulnerability. Smaller groups can exploit weaknesses and tilt the scales in their favor. Data Dumps: • Super spies that successfully worked covertly for many years are being exposed with data dumps. Also revealing their families disrupts their daily lives for maximum damage. • Foreign policy connections and illegal surveillance on Russian citizens are being exposed through a Snowden type of leak. What we're seeing with data dumps is similar to the Berlin Wall coming down. We believe WWIII has started. • We are now seeing ransomware groups incorporate public relations and openly post job openings with benefits. Data Collection: • People don't question the tech they use like they should. • Vulnerability is on the rise with smart devices and household appliances transmitting usage data across the web and basic apps requesting access to phone data for no good reason. • In China, TikTok users that had anti-government pictures on their phone suddenly found those pictures deleted from their camera roll. We should rename TikTok to DickTok. Splintered Social Media: • People are being pulled out of their comfort zone on certain platforms. It is hard for them to adjust to new restrictions. Splintering mostly affected right-leaning groups. Now we see the same pattern with the left. • Social aspects of the internet started in a very raw state with IRC type things and Yahoo chats. After that it became more polished like Instagram. Parents have stayed but kids have moved on. • Every 7-10 years there is a generational change in social media platforms. The new wave of social media is a little more personal. To some extent it started with Snapchat and now with Be Real. State of OSINT: • For a few years we saw a mass exodus from platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. New groups rose but most have died off. • In smaller ecosystems users tend to trust each other and act more extremely. Bad actors can do a lot more damage in these small groups. • This is great for OSINT investigation and attribution. We can target them easier in a smaller space and get better results. Human Trafficking: • Sex workers tend to advertise online, which can lead to a trove of open source intelligence. • We see handlers slip up on operational security when they get into new platforms. • Even with faces blurred, connections can be made through identifying the same phone number, lingerie, hotel décor, bedspread, carpet, and power outlets. Catching Spies: • Spies are being outed at a high rate through open source intelligence, similar to that used in the Ukraine war. Spies in Russia, Brazil, Sweden, U.S., Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and more have recently been exposed. • Searching for those 35-65 is ideal. Younger people have more knowledge of online intelligence and older people have little or no online presence. • At-home spy hunters are now finding people and “unlocking achievements” like a video game. Chinese Spy Balloon: • Hobbyists were tracking and identifying the Chinese spy balloon starting in the Western United States. • A low-cost RTL USB stick and antenna has democratized the radio spectrum, enabling anyone to access the signals. People use the Flight Aware app to monitor local air traffic. • Databases like ADS-B exchange will also give you free access to their global coverage for planes and boats. There are also weather balloon tracking apps. Using Data To Tell The Story: • News today can cause anxiety from not knowing what is the real truth or what is behind it. • Figuring out what is going on is a rush. It lowers the anxiety level and lets you be at peace with whatever is the conclusion. • With OSINT investigations, data tells the unbiased story. ShadowDragon is excited to have Nico Dekens officially join the team. For those interested in improving their open source investigative techniques and methodology, ShadowDragon now offers a special 5-day OSINT training class that is not advertised on the website. Contact us for details. Thank you for joining us. You can look forward to more interesting news and information from the OSINT perspective in new episodes coming soon.

About This Episode Hosts: Daniel Clemens, ShadowDragon CEO; Elliott Anderson, ShadowDragon CTO Guest: Nico Dekens, Dutch_OSINTguy After an extended layoff, the team returns with Dutch OSINT guy Nico Dekens to discuss changes and lessons learned during that time in the world of OSINT. They cover everything from the evolution of the internet landscape to the latest trends in counter social media and the use of technology in cybercrime and modern warfare. The guys get right into a no holds barred conversation including methodology, tactics, and the current state of affairs. On social media: • For many, the newest social media is like a new drug • Social media gave everyone a voice, but no one is actually listening • More free speech alternatives will rise over the next 24 to 36 months • Twitter model has always been broken, but remains a great source for breaking news • Segmentation of social audiences will see more disinformation with less accountability The war in Ukraine revealed: • Russia was only a regional power, never a global power. • Disinformation was defeated with even quicker counter disinformation • OSINT can be an effective weapon against asymmetrical warfare • Truth beats lies. War is cognitive. Input validation is important. OSINT investigation tips: • Honest intelligence from people with smart phones replaces spy craft • Use the connector of a group to get to the hidden individual • “Pinch” bad guys with a curiosity or provocative action to reveal themselves • Food reviews, dating sites, sports sites, and gaming forums are valuable resources. • Google is good but it is not the internet. Use varied sources. What the near future holds: • Energy prices are contributing to inflation and a weak economy, signaling ongoing instability • Unsophisticated criminals with easy access to phishing tools may increase cybercrime • The power of drones to be used a weapon is much higher than people realize • Organizations give low priority to cyber investigations, acting tactically instead of strategically • OSINT provides more pieces for putting the puzzles together. Nico Dekens teaches OSINT methodology, critical thinking, proper intelligence analysis, and how to interpret large datasets. For tools to help you apply some of the “pinch” techniques mentioned in the podcast, check out Spotter by ShadowDragon. You can also find other great cyber investigative tools and training from ShadowDragon. Join us for more thought-provoking episodes and conversations with experts from within the OSINT world. Special Guest: Nico "Dutch Osint Guy".

Nico shares his origin story along with war stories old, and new. Topics the following: * Leadership seems to want visualization, analyst don't care. Discussions evolve about how heat maps/crap maps may or may not be relevant. * Geographical visualization helps with different types of investigations. * Mapping Tactical Data is useful, timelines are helpful with pruning as well as mapping money laundering while other types of data fall short. Special Guest: Nico "Dutch Osint Guy".

Red team versus blue team. All should become a purple team!! Searching for a way around the rockstar mentality all too common within the infosec industry, as the proposal to build a team of teams is announced. Deception technology mixed with an actual true cost analysis of threat intelligence lending questionable returns. The roller coaster of topics reaches a pinnacle with a reflection on being allocentric within the security industry versus viewing security solely through the lens of industry growth. Topics include: * Charl shares his history, growth, and maturity within the industry. * Red team vs. blue team, and how everyone should be a purple team. * Deception technology, honeypots, forensics, and storytelling with data. * Getting around the rockstar mentality within infosec, and teamwork produces a higher ROI. * Demystifying the value of threat intelligence. Notable Quotes: "Think about what you do as something that matters and approach it in that way and the rest will follow." - Charl van der Walt Special shout outs to: * Haroon Meer (https://linkedin.com/in/haroonmeer) from Thinkst (https://www.thinkst.com) * Roelof Temmingh (https://linkedin.com/in/roeloftemmingh) from Vortimo (https://www.vortimo.com/). Special Guest: Charl van der Walt.