Intelligence Tradecraft - Sharpen your analytic edge

If you've ever read a text or sat in a briefing and quietly wondered what actually separates this "intelligence" from someone's hot take on LinkedIn, a journalist with a deadline, an analyst with a search bar, or an AI, this episode is for you. The host, Freddy Murre, sits down with Arno Reuser, the man who founded the Dutch Defence Intelligence Service's open-source intellig...

SUMMARY Former military intelligence analyst turned consultancy director Martijn Docters van Leeuwen joins Freddy Murre to unpack what cyber threat intelligence really is, and why so many teams "talk the talk" without "walking the walk", i.e. doing the work. Martijn Docters van Leeuwen has done the whole journey, infantry, military intelligence, stopping ATM skimming and gas attacks in the Netherl...

In this episode of Intelligence Tradecraft, host Freddy Murre sits down with Joe Slowik, a threat intelligence veteran whose career spans the US Navy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MITRE, and the vendor world (Dragos, DomainTools, Gigamon, Huntress, and now DataMinr). In the conversation, Joe makes the case that intelligence is fundamentally about decision support, not raw data feeds or research...

In this interview, Jeremy Levin shares his journey into US Army intelligence and subsequent move into private sector intelligence. Jeremy has extensive experience in intelligence analysis, training, and management, emphasizing the importance of adaptable skills, continuous learning, and effective team utilization in the field. Jeremy Levin accidentally entered military intelligence in the mid-90s...

Summary Will Woodall shares his 14-year journey through intelligence roles in the UK government and transitioning to private sector intelligence. He explains motivations for leaving government (slow recruitment and limited recognition), contrasts public vs private sector work, and emphasizes core intelligence methodology: the yardstick/estimated probability language, source evaluation and confiden...

Summary In cybersecurity, understanding the intricacies of intelligence tradecraft can make all the difference. In this insightful interview, cybersecurity expert Aaron Roberts shares his journey from military intelligence to founding Perspective Intelligence. He discusses the evolution of cyber threat intelligence, practical training approaches, the impact of AI, and how to build a successful int...

Summary Listen to Nadia Tuominen's path from crime science student to intelligence analyst in London’s Metropolitan Police, where she learned mostly on the job in a changing organization. She explains how austerity and lack of development pushed her to leave for sports integrity in tennis, then into the financial sector to work on economic crime. A later shift into academia and training lets h...

Summary Here, Teresa Walsh, a former NCIS analyst and current Chief Intelligence Officer (CINO), shares how intelligence tradecraft, critical thinking, and stakeholder-focused analysis must underpin cyber threat intelligence in an AI-saturated world, especially in heavily regulated sectors like finance. She discusses the importance of understanding the audience in intelligence work, the challenges...

Summary In this podcast episode, Elizabeth Dos Santos shares her journey from a 25-year career in the FBI, focusing on intelligence analysis and counter-terrorism, to the private sector, teaching intelligence. She discusses the challenges she faced, the importance of communication skills, and her transition to the private sector. Elizabeth emphasizes the role of AI in intelligence, the need for cr...

Summary In this conversation, Terry shares his journey from government intelligence to the private sector, discussing the evolution of training and methodologies in intelligence analysis. He emphasizes the importance of structured analytical techniques and the challenges faced in adapting these methods in the private sector. The discussion also touches on the impact of geopolitics on cyber threats...

In this conversation, Freddy and Will delve into the world of Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) and sharing communities, exploring of Will T, the journey of a cybersecurity professional, the importance of training and community, the challenges faced in threat reporting, and the impact of AI on the field. They discuss the evolution of CTI, the necessity for critical thinking, and the ethical consider...

Step inside the real world of intelligence with Kathy Pherson, a pioneering CIA analyst whose career arc spans from a curious Kansas City upbringing to the highest levels of global intelligence. In this episode, Kathy reveals how she navigated the challenges of intelligence writing, honed her craft in security and Latin American analysis, and ultimately transformed the field with innovative struct...

In this conversation, Scott Small, Director of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Tidal Cyber, shares his journey into the field of CTI, discussing his background, current responsibilities, and the importance of curiosity and empathy in intelligence analysis. He emphasizes the role of AI and open-source intelligence in enhancing threat detection and response, while also addressing the challenges of impl...

In this conversation, Freddy and Gert-Jan delve into the complexities of cybersecurity and cyber threat intelligence (CTI), exploring the importance of decision-making informed by intelligence, the challenges of training and development in the field, and the significance of metrics in demonstrating value. They discuss the evolving role of AI in cybersecurity, the necessity of critical thinking, an...

Join us in the first episode of our podcast where we interview Garrett Carstens in beautiful Berlin. Garrett shares his extensive experience in cyber threat intelligence, from his beginnings at the US Department of Defense to his current role as VP of Intel Operations at Intel 471. We delve into the transition from government to private sector, the importance of critical thinking in cyber intellig...