Preparing for A Career in Intelligence: Thoughts on Personal Security and Behavior | Episode 108

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Former CIA officer Maggie Gwynne joins me to discuss how those interested in pursuing a career in intelligence should manage their profiles (online and off) and conduct themselves to prepare for a challenging recruitment and training period.

Maggie Gwynne is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in the Middle East and North Africa. She is an active mentor for several organizations, including one – Girl Security – that provides mentorship to young women ages 14 and up interested in national security.

You can follow Maggie on Twitter @GwynneMaggie

Understanding the Israel-UAE Deal | Episode 107

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Alon Pinkas, who served as foreign policy advisor to Ehud Barak, political advisor to Shimon Peres, Chief of Staff to four Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Consul General of Israel in New York City returns to Covert Contact for a quick dive on the drivers behind the deal and what it means for the region.

You can follow Alon on Twitter @AlonPinkas.

Washington Takes Aim at the Confucius Institute | Episode 105

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Today’s decision to force the Confucius Institute to register as a foreign mission is the subject of my regular Thursday evening counterintelligence chat with Covert Contact regular William Tucker. We look at why it was necessary and where we, and China, might go from here.

You can follow William Tucker on Twitter @tuckerwj

Israel and The United States: Past, Present, and Future with Alon Pinkas | Episode 104

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With experience that includes serving as foreign policy advisor to Ehud Barak, political advisor to Shimon Peres, Chief of Staff to four Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and service as Consul General of Israel in New York City Alon Pinkas deeply understands the complexities of both societies and how these dynamics manifest in the special relationship the two countries share.

Alon joins Covert Contact to look at the state of the relationship, look at where it could (and should) evolve, and to dive into some of the socio-political dynamics that shape the relationship and how it is viewed from both sides.

You can follow Alon on Twitter @AlonPinkas.

Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy | Episode 103

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Australian journalist Stilgherrian, who’s been covering internet policy for more than a decade, and has been closely following Australia’s cybersecurity and digital surveillance laws for global tech site ZDNet returns to Covert Contact to discuss Australia’s recently released 2020 cyber security strategy.

For more of Stilgherrian’s thoughts on the recently published cyber strategy visit ZDNet. You can find much more of his work at Stilgherrian.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter and make sure you check out his podcast The 9pm Edict.

Chinese Spies and Russian Honey Traps | Episode 102

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William Tucker returns for our regular Thursday evening counterintelligence chat. We start off by discussing the resource and coordination challenges in addressing Chinese espionage but quickly pivot to thoughts on Russian cases, honey traps, and the universally terrible outcomes experienced by American defectors and spies.

Online Security: Avoiding a Personal October Surprise | Episode 100

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Infosec professional and security blogger Scot Terban joins me to discuss the recent LinkedIn spying case, the degrading environment in social media, and strategies for improving your personal security so that you don’t get targeted, compromised, and swept into your own (or someone else’s) October surprise.