SpyCast

Summary Eamon Javers (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter, LinkedIn) to discuss China’s Corporate Spy War. Eamon is the Senior Washington correspondent at CNBC.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Why go after corporate secrets?  What’s at stake for the United States  The case of Yanjun Xu and GE Aviation Military implications of economic espionage Reflections The innovation nation Simple twists...

Summary Steve James (IMDb) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his new film, A Compassionate Spy. 18-year-old Ted Hall was the youngest physicist working on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Soviet-American relations during WWII The Manhattan Project and the development of the Atomic Bomb  Motivations for atomic espionage The life and story of Theodore Ha...

Summary Michael Vickers (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his remarkable career and memoir. He was formerly the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence His specialized training to wear a “Nuclear Backpack” (yes, literally!) Overseeing a multibillion-dollar CIA covert action program against the Soviets Planning the Osama Bin Laden raid Retooli...

Summary Jorhena Thomas (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career as an analyst and passion for intelligence education. Jorhena spent 8 years in the FBI as an Intelligence Analyst.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence What makes a great analyst Her thoughts on the “Intelligence Cycle” The Robert Levinson case  How the FBI adapted after 9/11 Reflections Teamwork and collaboration ...

Summary Leta McCollough Seletsky (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to share the story of her father, the famous “Kneeling Man” – The man knelt next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at his assassination at the Lorraine Motel in 1968. Leta is a litigator turned essayist and memoirist.  *Nominate SpyCast for a People’s Choice Podcast Award HERE!* What You’ll Learn Intelligence The life...

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 pl...

Summary Ioanna Iordanou (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Venice’s Secret Service. Her research on “centralized intelligence” during the Italian Renaissance has secured her two entries in Guiness World Records! What You’ll Learn Intelligence The origins of centralized intelligence  “The Council of Ten” - Venice’s spy chiefs “The Inquisitors of the State” - Venice’s co...

Summary  This week on SpyCast, Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) is joined by former DPRK Agent Kim, Hyun Woo. This is the first time Dr. Kim has stepped out from the shadows to speak.  *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What You’ll Learn  Intelligence  The organizational structure of North Korean intelligence The journey of a defector  The training and skills needed to be a DPRK agent North Ko...

Summary Calder Walton (Website, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the 100-year intelligence war between the United States and Russia. Calder is the author of the new book, SPIES.  *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What You’ll Learn Intelligence The epic clash of intelligence systems Russia’s assassination program then and now The roots of Putinism  China as “the Sovie...

Summary Cory Graff (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter, LinkedIn) to discuss the D-Day deception operation to mask the landings at Normandy. Cory is a Curator at The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Deception tactics used by the Allies  The core deception operations BODYGUARD and FORTITUDE  The German secret agents who became British “do...

Summary Noah Hurowitz (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss infamous drug kingpin El Chapo. A weak link in his cybersecurity set-up would help bring him down.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence El Chapo’s internal surveillance operation The cartel’s use of cryptography to keep communications covert How cybersecurity enabled then brought down El Chapo The role of the infamous...

Summary Curators Alexis (LinkedIn) and Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) use James Bond artifacts in SPY’s collection to discuss all things 007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Bond vs. Real Life Spies The birth of James Bond  Ian Fleming’s intelligence past Bond and MI6 Reflections What makes a character timeless? Pop cu...

Summary Curators Alexis (LinkedIn) and Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) use James Bond artifacts in SPY’s collection to discuss all things 007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Bond vs. Real Life Spies The birth of James Bond  Ian Fleming’s intelligence past Bond and MI6 Reflections What makes a character timeless? Pop cu...

Summary Stephen Duffy (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the spy stories of St. Ermin’s Hotel in London. It includes links to SOE, MI6, Ian Fleming, and the Cambridge 5.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The origins of the SOE MI6 and the SOE in the hotel during WWII (bad neighbors!) Incredible female spies of WWII  St. Ermin’s Cambridge Five connection The history of the hotel R...

Summary David Cattler (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss NATO’s intelligence response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. David currently serves as NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Intelligence & NATO NATO’s response to the war in Ukraine How NATO is adapting to evolving technologies NATO’s purpose and mission...

Summary R. Kent Tiernan joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the seven-year covert operation to execute Mary Queen of Scots. Kent is the author of The Walsingham Gambit.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The spy plot to trap Mary, Queen of Scots  Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster  16th century intelligence tactics  The importance of recruiting agents from your opponent’s camp The...

Summary Dr. Dennis Walters (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the Irregular Warfare Center and its ties to intelligence. Dennis is the current Acting Director of the IWC.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The need for an Irregular Warfare Center The Irregular Warfare Center’s mission  What role intelligence plays in irregular war Creating unique solutions for unique situ...

Summary This week’s episode is the result of a collaboration with The Sound, a recent limited series podcast exploring the so-called Havana Syndrome. The guests are host and investigative journalist Nicky Woolf (Twitter), former senior CIA operations officer and sufferer Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter), and attorney and advocate Mark Zaid (Twitter). What You’ll Learn Intelligence What Havana Syndrom...

Summary Sameer Patil (Twitter; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and cybersecurity in the world’s most populous nation. He formerly worked in the NSC Secretariat in the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Cybersecurity in the world’s largest democracy The breakdown of India’s intelligence agencies Cybersecurity among the world’s sec...

Summary Dr. Alexis Albion (LinkedIn, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss amazing artifacts with amazing stories from SPY’s newest pop-up exhibit: “Secrets Revealed: Highlights from the Grant Verstandig Collection.” What You’ll Learn Intelligence Casablanca’s spy connection Lasting effects of the Rosenberg trial Women in Intelligence WWII covert operations Reflections What makes a...

Summary Yossi Kuperwasser (Twitter; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the Israeli intelligence community. Yossi is the former head of the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence. *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What You’ll Learn Intelligence The layout of Israeli intelligence The First and Second Intifadas Israel’s complicated position in the Middle East Relations...

Summary Nigel West (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Germany’s military intelligence service during WWII, the Abwehr. Nigel is known as the expert’s expert on spy history. What You’ll Learn Intelligence The rise and fall of the Abwehr  The 20th of July plot to kill Hitler & Operation Valkyrie  How effective German intelligence was during WWII  How “Nazi” the Abwehr was Reflec...

Summary Cathy Hackl (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the potential implications of the metaverse on intelligence. Cathy has been called the “Godmother of the Metaverse.” What You’ll Learn Intelligence What the metaverse is Security and counterintelligence in a virtual world Futurism within intelligence agencies  Potential risks and consequences of the metaverse Refle...

Summary Shane Harris (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the role of intelligence in the Ukraine conflict one year after it began. Shane reports on intelligence for the Washington Post and is the author of two books. What You’ll Learn Intelligence  Where we are with the war in Ukraine The role intelligence agencies are playing in the conflict The leadership of Zelensky...

Summary Aliza Bran (LinkedIn, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her role as Media Relations Manager at the International Spy Museum. Aliza is a D.C. native and graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The media and intelligence International Spy Museum Artifacts Espionage fact vs. fiction The history of The International Spy Museum Reflecti...