It appears as though accused Russian spy Mikhail Semenko was an active social networker. Semenko and his comrades are a case study in espionage 2.0. He had accounts on LinkedIn and Facebook. He even ran a blog on the Chinese economy. What are the lessons here? Well, first, you should know who you’re connected to on these social networking sites. A Facebook news feed could have been a great source of intelligence for Semenko, if he was friends with the right people–say, a congressman on the right committee who posts a little too much on his Facebook account or even a mid-level civil servant working in a sensitive national security position. It seems hard to believe, but…
Archive for the ‘Intelligence’ Category
The Blue Force Tracker
If you’re interested in defense and national security issues, a friend and colleague of mine has launched an outstanding new blog with talented, insightful bloggers. The Blue Force Tracker is a project of the Society of National Security Professionals, a professional organization “dedicated to improving national security by bringing together members of various professional disciplines to collaborate and exchange information.” Please check out the blog.
Combating the September 10th Mindset: New Website for Intelligence Officers Threatened with Investigation
Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to investigate, and potentially prosecute, CIA intelligence officers for alleged “abuses” in the interrogation of detainees was stunning, to say the least. The idea that the Department of Justice would investigate the men and women who keep this country safe is a troubling sign for all Americans. It is pretty clear that these investigations are politically-motivated and have been concocted as yet another way to smear the Bush administration. The net effect, however, is a weakening of U.S. national security. Retired Marine Corps Lt. Ilario Pantano launched a website today–StandwithIntelligence.com–which focuses on providing support to U.S. intelligence professionals.
Instead of launching their own investigations of the CIA, the Congress should assess the long-term effects of the Justice Department’s…