OSINT

China
Shanghai clique gathers intelligentsia around Xi

Coordinated by Politburo Standing Committee members Wang Huning and Ding Xuexiang, the new Shanghai faction is trying to extinguish the influence of Jiang Zemin's protégés from the world of academia and the military.

Israel
Latin America continues to attract Israeli cyber firms

Daniel Geifman, previously with Intellexa, has recently launched Totem Solutions, a firm exporting cyber solutions to Latin America. Despite the negative press it has received there, Israeli cyber remains sought-after in that part of the world.

Spotlight | France
International OSINT groups vie for position with state agencies in Paris

Attracted by security trials ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a number of leading OSINT groups based in the United States and Israel are strengthening their presence in France.

UAE
UAE's Edge Group and G42 get into natural language processing

Natural language processing, popularised by ChatGPT, is of particular interest to the UAE's security apparatus conglomerates for their big data and open source intelligence (OSINT) programmes. The technology also promises to offer new firms in the sector a means to conduct low-cost influence operations.

Spotlight | United States
Chinese threat rekindles focus on climate-related intelligence

Both to cater to his electoral base and develop US surveillance capacities, Joe Biden is making climate intelligence a priority, not only to anticipate climate change-related disasters but also to get a step ahead of China on the issue.

United States
Counter-influence expert looking for funding to develop cyber activities

EdgeTheory, a service provider to the US intelligence community, wants to extend its expertise to cyber and has approached lobbyist Alpine Group Partners to look for funding.

Document | Belarus, European Union
Synesis fights sanctions and informational attacks from Brussels to Warsaw

Bypol, a grouping of anti-Lukashenko law enforcement officers in exile, has intensified its attacks on social media and keeps lobbying in the EU against the Belarusian facial recognition software developer.

United States
Disbanded threat intelligence firm AdvIntel staff regroup at RedSense

Close colleagues of AdvIntel's late founder Vitali Kremez have migrated to RedSense, an intelligence firm tracking threats, especially from Russia and Russian-speaking countries.

China, Italy, United States
Information warfare: Washington provides funds to counter Chinese messaging in Italy

The US State Department has given Italy's Istituto Affari Internazionali think tank financial help to contribute to the debate in that country on the risks posed by disinformation from the Chinese Communist Party. That was only the first operation in a wider-ranging US campaign to come in Europe.

Spymaster | China
Li Wei, Xi's intelligence gathering champion

General Li Wei, an intelligence specialist who trained in Xinjiang and is close to President Xi Jinping, is using new information sharing and training programmes to turn the People's Liberation Army's Strategic Support Force into a well-oiled intelligence machine.

The Tech Telegraph
Startup Wyvern hires GEOINT vets, Meta engages privacy lobbyists, Braccioli takes DigitalPlatforms to UAE, NATO's OSINT platform tender

Whether in SIGINT, GEOINT, OSINT or cyber, we report each week on developments great and small in the world of technical intelligence providers.

Edmonton Canada's Wyvern appoints two US vice-presidents

Washington Meta hires specialist lobbyists for crusade against OSINT

Dubai Former Area VP Braccioli takes DigitalPlatforms to UAE

Brussels NATO issues tender for OSINT early warning platform

UAE, United States
Social Links, new ally of OSINT specialist Sicuro Group

The open source intelligence specialist has turned to the Emirati consultancy and security provider to help with its participation in the ISS World gathering in Dubai by entrusting its founder with presenting several case studies.

Belarus
Belarusian 'Bellingcat' caught up in opposing disinformation campaigns

Run by exiled journalist and activist Anton Motolko, the @Hajun_BY Telegram channel gathers information about Russian troop and military hardware movements in Belarus. Used by private sector consultants and the Belarusian opposition alike, the channel has also come under attack from Belarusian intelligence services.

China
Recruitment drive for key posts at Chinese propaganda and United Front Work departments

President Xi Jinping is pressing the Chinese Communist Party to improve its capacity for dealing with the country's most sensitive issues, including Tibet, Taiwan, patriotism among students studying abroad and military-civil fusion.

The Tech Telegraph
Belgian SIGINT, Luc Majdalani at BlackSky, Tadaweb supported by Nancy Clark in Canada

From SIGINT to GEOINT and OSINT and a dose of cyber, each Thursday, we report on events both big and small that matter in the community of technical intelligence providers.

BrusselsBelgian army pursues SIGINT upgrades

DubaiLuc Majdalani takes over BlackSky's business development in Golf

OttawaEx-diplomat Nancy Clark joins European OSINT provider Tadaweb