SpyCast

Summary Brian Vorndran (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss how the FBI has adapted to the digital age. As Brian says, “We are not your grandparents FBI.” What You’ll Learn Intelligence The evolution of the FBI and cyber  Weakening cyber adversaries  Motivations behind creating and distributing malware How to keep your information safe from cyber attacks Reflections Adapting to change within the intelligence field The value of a passionate and committed team And much, much more… Episode Notes When Brian Vorndran attended the FBI Academy in 2003, cyber was not on his personal radar, nor was it on Quantico’s vigorous training schedule. Now, almost 20 years later, Brian serves as the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division.  What changed in those 20 years to bring Brian to the forefront of the cyber battlefield, and how have the tactics and strategies used in this used in this field evolved alongside the ever-changing face of cyber?  Tune into this week’s SpyCast episode to find out!  The FBI has historically been associated with law enforcement and criminal justice. How does cyber fit into this world, and what is the FBI’s strategy for defending the country against cyber adversaries?  And… Check out the FBI Cyber's Most Wanted list. A look through the details on each of these wanted posters can give you a better idea of the vast array of cyber-crimes committed around the world.  Quotes of the Week “We will not arrest our way out of the ransomware problem. We are not going to arrest our way out of the Russia China Nation state cyber vector problem. Right? It's just not going to happen. But again, national tool power is something we will always do, but there has to be a way to degrade the ecosystem to make their life more challenging.” – Bryan Vordran. Resources *SpyCasts* Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization – with Eric Escobar, Part 1 (2022) Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization – with Eric Escobar, Part 2 (2022) From the CIA to Strategic Cyber - with Hans Holmer (2022) CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer – with Mike Susong (2022) Cyberattacks, Espionage & Ransomware – Inside Microsoft’s MSTIC (2021) The Cyber Zeitgeist – Cyberwire Host Dave Bittner (2021) *Beginner Resources* What is cybersecurity?, IBM (n.d.) [Article] How does Malware Work?, Peter Baltazar, Malware Fox (2021) [Article] Director Wray on FBI Cyber Strategy, FBI (2020) Books Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, Fred Kaplan (Simon & Schuster, 2017)  Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime, Brian Krebs (Sourcebooks, 2015)  DarkMarket: How Hackers Became the New Mafia, Misha Glenny (Vintage, 2012) The FBI: A History, Rhodri Jefferys-Jones (Yale, 2007) Articles FBI: Beware of Cyber-Threat from Russian Hacktivists, Phil Muncaster, Info Security (2022) Web shell attacks continue to rise, Microsoft Security (2021) Thingbots: The Future of Botnets in the Internet of Things, Paul Sabanal, Security Intelligence (2016) Video Inside the FBI: Decoding the Cyber Threat (2022) Made in Beijing: The Plan for Global Market Domination (2022) FBI Oregon Cyber Jobs: Cyber Special Agent (2022) Life on an FBI Cyber Squad (2020)  The Evolving Attack Surface (2020) Primary Sources  Oversight of the FBI Cyber Division (2022) Sodinokibi/REvil Ransomware Defendant Extradited to United States and Arraigned in Texas (2021)  Bryan A. Vorndran Named Assistant Director of the FBI Cyber Division (2021) The FBI’s Role in Cyber Security (2014) *Wildcard Resource* Quiz: Test your knowledge of the FBI in pop culture! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Nov 202248min

Summary Aynne Kokas (LinkedIn; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her book "Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Nov 20221h 3min

Summary Bob Sutton (LinkedIn; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the mysterious intelligence site P.O. Box 1142. High-value Nazis were interrogated here during WWII. What You’ll Learn Intelligence The interrogation of top Nazis for intelligence  The analysis of literally tons of captured German documents  Refining ways to escape and evade Nazis in German occupied Europe The importance of intelligence on the German Army’s Order of Battle  Reflections The National Park Service & History Politicizing Interpretation And much, much more… Episode Notes This week’s guest is the former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, Bob Sutton, and what a wonderful conversation we had. His book, Nazis on the Potomac: The Top-Secret Intelligence Operation that Helped Win WWII, tells the story of military intelligence facility P.O. Box 1142 – present day Fort Hunt, around 15 miles south of Washington DC.It was here, between 1942-1945, that around three and a half thousand high level German prisoners were interrogated, captured documents analyzed, and ways to help Americans escape and evade Nazis in occupied Europe studied. This story is particularly incredible, because many of the interrogators were German born Jews. This story was almost lost to history, but thankfully because of the NPS and Bob Sutton, it never will be. [Conflict of interest disclosure, Andrew has an “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass]. And… John W. Kluge arrived in the United States from Germany not speaking a word of English in 1922. He was 8 years old. He would go on to be the head of the Military Intelligence Research Section (MIRS) at P.O. Box 1142. After the war, he would go on to become the richest man in the United States. He was so appreciative of America, that he provided funds to Columbia University and The Library Congress to provide opportunities to future students and scholars. Andrew is a former John W. Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress and therefore a direct recipient of his philanthropy for which he is grateful. Quote of the Week "Doing what we did at Fort Hunt is actually fairly unusual, where we didn't know the story. We were able to locate people, we were able to get money, we could actually interview everybody that we found…That's relatively unusual." – Bob Sutton Resources SURFACE SKIM *Andrew’s Recommendation* Oral History Interview with John W. Kluge, NPS Some fascinating budgets on how his time in intelligence informed his business practices *Featured Resource* Nazis on the Potomac: The Top-Secret Intelligence Operation that Helped Win WWII, B. Sutton (Casemate, 2022)  *Beginner Resources* POWs and Intel at Fort Hunt in WWII, NPS (n.d.) [web article] P.O. Box 1142, Top Secret Heroes, YouTube [3 min video] History Series (GS-0170) Federal Jobs, [career article] DEEPER DIVE *SpyCasts* “The Beverley Hills Spy” – with Seth Abramovich (2022) Books Richie Boy Secrets, B. Eddy (Stackpole, 2021) Escape and Evasion, P. Froom (Schiffer, 2015) The History of Camp Tracy, A. Corbin (Zeidon, 2009) Articles P.O. Box 1142, The Mysterious WWII Installation, SOF (2022) MIS-X: Escape and Evasion in WWII, N. Nix, Patch (2011) Moving Image Fort Hunt Up to WWII, R. Sutton, C-SPAN (2022) Richie Boys, 60 Minutes (2022) The New Americans: The Immigrants who Served, U.S. Holocaust Museum (2020) Primary Sources “Red Book”: Order of Battle of the German Army (1945) Oral Sources Oral History Interview with Rudolph Pins (2006) Oral History Interview with Silvio Bedini (2007)  Oral History Interview with Paul Fairbrook (2008) Oral History Collections Fort Hunt Oral History Project, P.O. Box 1142 *Wildcard Resource* H. Res. 753 A Resolution on P.O. Box 1142 from the 110th Congress “Whereas” is utilized to great effect to tell the story with great aplomb!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Nov 20221h 9min

Summary Ryan Zimmerman (MLB Stats; Wikipedia) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence and America’s pastime. From the SpyCast Field of Dreams. What You’ll Learn Intelligence Sign-stealing and codebreaking Glue guys and teamwork Ethics in baseball and espionage Clutch and pinch hitters in espionage and baseball Reflections Daring to fail Stepping up to the plate of life And much, much more… Episode Notes Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. Few things in the world compare to sitting back, putting your feet up, and cracking open a cold one while watching the World Series.  For the 2021 World Series Marc joined us for a fantastic discussion on the links between baseball and espionage. How do we top that? A baseball fanatic ex-CIA officer?  Why, how about getting a first-round draft pick, World Series Champion with over 6500 at-bats? Done! Enter Ryan Zimmerman, Mr. National!  Ever wondered about signs-stealing, how to run a baseball counterintelligence operation, or what some of the many, many links are between baseball and espionage? You’ve come to the right place for a discussion that goes to the bottom of the ninth inning over a two-episode conversation. Ryan played for the Nationals from 2005, when he was a first-round draft pick, through to 2021, when his #11 jersey was retired. He is an ex- All-Star, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner, and 2019 World Series Champion.  Marc is a highly decorated former CIA operations officer who specialized in counterterrorism, the Middle East, and South Asia. Prior to his retirement, he served at CIA headquarters in charge of clandestine operations in Europe and Eurasia. He is the author of the 2021 book, “Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA.” And… “Big Data” is upending many fields, not least baseball and espionage. Gaining a competitive edge is central to both activities, the big argument is about how much “soul” is lost along the way. The Houston Astros have been a lighting-rod team, whose “smart and modern” or “cold and cynical” approach has been discussed at Penn's Wharton School of Business and in the pages of the Harvard Business Review.  Quotes of the Week "I think “Dare to Fail” is enormous. I would want you to put me up at the bases load in the bottom of the ninth. I'll take it every single time. Even if I feel like I have zero chance, I want to be there." - Ryan Zimmerman "You know, you have to have that mentality in these professions." - Marc Polymeropoulos Resources *Andrew’s Recommendation* Moneyball, M. Lewis (W.W. Norton, 2004) Love it or hate it, this is the first port of call for any reckoning of baseball and analytics.  *SpyCasts* “Baseball & Espionage” – with Marc Polymeropoulos (2021) *Beginner Resources* Spy Agencies Struggling in Age of Big Data, A. Zegart, Wired (2022) [article] Baseball Analytics for the Casual Fan, Simple Sabermetrics (2020) [7 min video] Beginners Guide to Baseball Analytics, N. Allen, Fansided (2018) [article] Best Baseball Analytics Resources, Simple Sabermetrics (2022) Books Spies, Lies and Algorithms, A. Zegart (PUP, 2022) The Catcher Was a Spy: Moe Berg, N. Dawidoff (Pantheon, 1994) Articles Baseball and Cybersecurity, S. Handler, Atlantic Council (2020) Baseball’s Rude Welcome to Age of Cyberespionage, N. Paine, 538 (2015) The Man Who Remade Basketball, M. McCluskey, Wired (2014) Baseball on Exhibit: Musuems in the SABR Era, Z. Jendro, SABR (2011) Video Lessons from the CIA’s Analytic Front-Lines, B. Pease, JHU (2022) Sabermetrics 101: Baseball Analytics, A. Andres, Talks at Google (2016) CIA’s Chief Information Officer - Advanced Analytics, D. Wolfe, O’Reilly (2015) Primary Sources The PC Goes to Bat (1984) *Wildcard Resource* Get “Analytics Certification” from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) - which is where the term “sabermetrics” comes from! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Nov 20221h 8min

Summary Ryan Zimmerman (MLB Stats; Wikipedia) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence and America’s pastime. From the SpyCast Field of Dreams. What You’ll Learn Intelligence Sign-stealing and codebreaking Glue guys and teamwork Ethics in baseball and espionage Clutch and pinch hitters in espionage and baseball Reflections Daring to fail Stepping up to the plate of life And much, much more… Episode Notes Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. Few things in the world compare to sitting back, putting your feet up, and cracking open a cold one while watching the World Series.  For the 2021 World Series Marc joined us for a fantastic discussion on the links between baseball and espionage. How do we top that? A baseball fanatic ex-CIA officer?  Why, how about getting a first-round draft pick, World Series Champion with over 6500 at-bats? Done! Enter Ryan Zimmerman, Mr. National!  Ever wondered about signs-stealing, how to run a baseball counterintelligence operation, or what some of the many, many links are between baseball and espionage? You’ve come to the right place for a discussion that goes to the bottom of the ninth inning over a two-episode conversation. Ryan played for the Nationals from 2005, when he was a first-round draft pick, through to 2021, when his #11 jersey was retired. He is an ex- All-Star, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner, and 2019 World Series Champion.  Marc is a highly decorated former CIA operations officer who specialized in counterterrorism, the Middle East, and South Asia. Prior to his retirement, he served at CIA headquarters in charge of clandestine operations in Europe and Eurasia. He is the author of the 2021 book, “Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA.” And… “Big Data” is upending many fields, not least baseball and espionage. Gaining a competitive edge is central to both activities, the big argument is about how much “soul” is lost along the way. The Houston Astros have been a lighting-rod team, whose “smart and modern” or “cold and cynical” approach has been discussed at Penn's Wharton School of Business and in the pages of the Harvard Business Review.  Quotes of the Week "I think “Dare to Fail” is enormous. I would want you to put me up at the bases load in the bottom of the ninth. I'll take it every single time. Even if I feel like I have zero chance, I want to be there." - Ryan Zimmerman "You know, you have to have that mentality in these professions." - Marc Polymeropoulos Resources *Andrew’s Recommendation* Moneyball, M. Lewis (W.W. Norton, 2004) Love it or hate it, this is the first port of call for any reckoning of baseball and analytics.  *SpyCasts* “Baseball & Espionage” – with Marc Polymeropoulos (2021) *Beginner Resources* Spy Agencies Struggling in Age of Big Data, A. Zegart, Wired (2022) [article] Baseball Analytics for the Casual Fan, Simple Sabermetrics (2020) [7 min video] Beginners Guide to Baseball Analytics, N. Allen, Fansided (2018) [article] Best Baseball Analytics Resources, Simple Sabermetrics (2022) Books Spies, Lies and Algorithms, A. Zegart (PUP, 2022) The Catcher Was a Spy: Moe Berg, N. Dawidoff (Pantheon, 1994) Articles Baseball and Cybersecurity, S. Handler, Atlantic Council (2020) Baseball’s Rude Welcome to Age of Cyberespionage, N. Paine, 538 (2015) The Man Who Remade Basketball, M. McCluskey, Wired (2014) Baseball on Exhibit: Musuems in the SABR Era, Z. Jendro, SABR (2011) Video Lessons from the CIA’s Analytic Front-Lines, B. Pease, JHU (2022) Sabermetrics 101: Baseball Analytics, A. Andres, Talks at Google (2016) CIA’s Chief Information Officer - Advanced Analytics, D. Wolfe, O’Reilly (2015) Primary Sources The PC Goes to Bat (1984) *Wildcard Resource* Get “Analytics Certification” from the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) - which is where the term “sabermetrics” comes from! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Okt 20221h

Andrew Hammond shares an encore episode From the Vault. From counternarcotics to counterterrorism, from Latin America to the Middle East, and from the back streets of a warzone to the center of events in Washington DC – Karen Schaefer has had, how should we say, an “eventful” career as an intelligence officer. Charming, smart, thoughtful, and you haven’t even met Karen yet…but seriously, it was a pleasure to talk to this week’s guest who had all of those qualities, and more; so enjoyable it will be released as a double-header. This week, Part I focuses on her time as an operator; while Part II focuses on her time as a “serial collaborator” who worked with Special Operations, the FBI, and the NSC. Stay tuned… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Okt 202258min

Summary   Eric Escobar (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss compromising networks and information security. He has a coveted DEFCON Black Badge.    What You’ll Learn  Intelligence  What keeps Eric up at night   Thinking like an ethical hacker (aka a “penetration tester)  Protecting your information (i.e., “Hardening the attack surface”)  Plain English explanations of key cyber concepts like “Kill Chains” and “Zero Days”  Reflections  Having a cool job  The information revolution and life in the modern world  And much, much more…  Episode Notes  Eric Escobar commits several thousand felonies on any given day, if he didn’t have permission to do what he was doing.  A Principal Security Consultant with SecureWorks, Eric has compromised pretty much everything out there: from healthcare and banking to technology and critical infrastructure, through to amusement parks and next generation military aircraft.  “From my perspective, it’s the coolest job in the entire world.”  His team consecutively won first place in the Wireless CTF category at DEF CON 23, 24, and 25, snagging a Black Badge along the way. He has a BS and MS in Civil Engineering.   And…  The links between computing, hacking and the 60’s counterculture are FASCINATING. Learn more by dipping your toes here and here, or dive deeper with What the Dormouse Said (2005) by John Markoff and From Counterculture to Cyberculture (2006) by Fred Turner.      Quote of the Week  "Watching any critical infrastructure get compromised is really the thing that keeps me up at night because lives are in the balance…and we do a lot of testing for critical infrastructure, and I've seen computers and machines that have been online and not been taken offline, longer than I've been alive…So really interesting to see those types of things because they interact with really big, expensive hardware…there's a catch 22 that happens where you can't really take the machine offline to do maintenance on it because it's critical infrastructure. So then how do you test it to make sure that a hacker can't take it offline, or maintenance can't be done on it? " – Eric Escobar.   Resources  *Andrew’s Recommendation*  Word Notes   From beginner thru advanced, you’ll find some helpful definitions of things like “Web 3.0,” “NFT’s” and “Digital Transformation” on this Cyberwire audio glossary.  *SpyCasts*  Inside Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) – with John Lambert and Cristin Goodwin (2021)  The Cyber Zeitgeist – with Dave Bittner (2021)  Securing Cyberspace – with Charlie Mitchell (2016)  *Beginner Resources*  What is Hacking? The Economic Times (n.d.) [web]  Ethical Hacking in 8 Minutes, Simplilearn (2020) [8 min video]  Cybersecurity in 7 minutes, Simplilearn (2020) [7 min video]  Books  The Cyberweapons Arms Race, N. Perloth (Bloomsbury, 2021)  Cult of the Dead Cow, J. Menn (PublicAffairs, 2020)  Breaking & Entering, J. Smith (Mariner Books, 2019)  The Art of Invisibility, K. Mitnick (L, B & C, 2017)  Ghost in the Wires, K. Mitnick (Back Bay Books, 2012)  Kingpin, K. Poulson (Crown, 2012)  The Cuckoo’s Egg, C. Stoll (Doubleday, 1989)  Neuromancer, W. Gibson (Ace, 1984)  Articles  2022 State of the Threat: A Year in Review, Secureworks (2022)  The Anthropology of Hackers, The Atlantic (2010)  Timeline Since 2006: Significant Cyber Incidents, CSIS (n.d.)  Documentary  DEFCON, The Documentary Network (2013)  Resources  Government Hacking Bibliography, S. Quinlan, New America Foundation (2016)  *Wildcard Resource*  “The Aurora Shard”  Come to the International Spy Museum to see an ugly chunk of metal. Why? Well, it speaks to a revolution in the relationship between the material world and the non-material world. Broken down? 30 lines of code blew up a 27-ton generator. Zeros and ones can cause violent explosions!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Okt 202245min

Summary   Eric Escobar (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss compromising networks and information security. He has a coveted DEFCON Black Badge.    What You’ll Learn  Intelligence  What keeps Eric up at night   Thinking like an ethical hacker (aka a “penetration tester)  Protecting your information (i.e., “Hardening the attack surface”)  Plain English explanations of key cyber concepts like “Kill Chains” and “Zero Days”  Reflections  Having a cool job  The information revolution and life in the modern world  And much, much more…  Episode Notes  Eric Escobar commits several thousand felonies on any given day, if he didn’t have permission to do what he was doing.  A Principal Security Consultant with SecureWorks, Eric has compromised pretty much everything out there: from healthcare and banking to technology and critical infrastructure, through to amusement parks and next generation military aircraft.  “From my perspective, it’s the coolest job in the entire world.”  His team consecutively won first place in the Wireless CTF category at DEF CON 23, 24, and 25, snagging a Black Badge along the way. He has a BS and MS in Civil Engineering.   And…  The links between computing, hacking and the 60’s counterculture are FASCINATING. Learn more by dipping your toes here and here, or dive deeper with What the Dormouse Said (2005) by John Markoff and From Counterculture to Cyberculture (2006) by Fred Turner.      Quote of the Week  "Watching any critical infrastructure get compromised is really the thing that keeps me up at night because lives are in the balance…and we do a lot of testing for critical infrastructure, and I've seen computers and machines that have been online and not been taken offline, longer than I've been alive…So really interesting to see those types of things because they interact with really big, expensive hardware…there's a catch 22 that happens where you can't really take the machine offline to do maintenance on it because it's critical infrastructure. So then how do you test it to make sure that a hacker can't take it offline, or maintenance can't be done on it? " – Eric Escobar.   Resources  *Andrew’s Recommendation*  Word Notes   From beginner thru advanced, you’ll find some helpful definitions of things like “Web 3.0,” “NFT’s” and “Digital Transformation” on this Cyberwire audio glossary.  *SpyCasts*  Inside Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) – with John Lambert and Cristin Goodwin (2021)  The Cyber Zeitgeist – with Dave Bittner (2021)  Securing Cyberspace – with Charlie Mitchell (2016)  *Beginner Resources*  What is Hacking? The Economic Times (n.d.) [web]  Ethical Hacking in 8 Minutes, Simplilearn (2020) [8 min video]  Cybersecurity in 7 minutes, Simplilearn (2020) [7 min video]  Books  The Cyberweapons Arms Race, N. Perloth (Bloomsbury, 2021)  Cult of the Dead Cow, J. Menn (PublicAffairs, 2020)  Breaking & Entering, J. Smith (Mariner Books, 2019)  The Art of Invisibility, K. Mitnick (L, B & C, 2017)  Ghost in the Wires, K. Mitnick (Back Bay Books, 2012)  Kingpin, K. Poulson (Crown, 2012)  The Cuckoo’s Egg, C. Stoll (Doubleday, 1989)  Neuromancer, W. Gibson (Ace, 1984)  Articles  2022 State of the Threat: A Year in Review, Secureworks (2022)  The Anthropology of Hackers, The Atlantic (2010)  Timeline Since 2006: Significant Cyber Incidents, CSIS (n.d.)  Documentary  DEFCON, The Documentary Network (2013)  Resources  Government Hacking Bibliography, S. Quinlan, New America Foundation (2016)  *Wildcard Resource*  “The Aurora Shard”  Come to the International Spy Museum to see an ugly chunk of metal. Why? Well, it speaks to a revolution in the relationship between the material world and the non-material world. Broken down? 30 lines of code blew up a 27-ton generator. Zeros and ones can cause violent explosions!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Okt 202256min