SIGINT

Belarus, Europe
Belarusian opposition's lobbying rubs European Council the wrong way

The lawsuit between Brussels and facial recognition provider Synesis put the anti-Lukashenko organisation Bypol in the hotseat. Ex-Cop Alexander Azarov's already fragile reputation has taken yet another blow.

United States
ODNI suffers political fallout from Biden classified documents discovery

Controversy over the mishandling of classified documents by the US leadership has put the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in a tight spot, where it is torn between fighting leaks on the one hand and respecting its responsibility to keep out of politics on the other.

The Agencies' Gazette
Russian defectors, Netanyahu takes Shin Bet head to Amman, US spy integration procedures reviewed

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week, we bring news from Oslo, Amman, Washington and Moscow.

Norway/France/Russia Russian defector's story challenged

Israel/Jordan Shin Bet director joins Netanyahu on reassurance mission in Amman

United States Intelligence services revise their integration procedures

United States Congress scrutinises DIA's HR management

Spotlight | Bangladesh, Israel
Like Intellexa, Merlinx collaborates with Bangladeshi intelligence

Israeli spyware firm Merlinx, acquired in 2021 by Israeli-US cloud data company OwnBackup, has been supplying its tools to Bangladesh's intelligence service via Israeli-PC integrator Prelysis. Its rival Intellexa was exposed this month for doing business with the same service.

France, Ukraine
French domestic intelligence service keeps Ukrainian community in France under surveillance

France's domestic intelligence service, the DGSI, is taking a close interest in the Ukrainian community in Paris. Tips provided by some members of the community are providing it with knowledge on Ukraine as well as counter-intelligence data.

Belarus, Russia
Russia ramps up strategic disinformation campaign north of Ukraine

To divert Kyiv's attentions away from the main theatres of war in Ukraine's east and south, Russian intelligence services and private military companies are conducting a growing number of manoeuvres in Belarus. Information about these operations is being carefully 'leaked'.

Syria, United States
USSOCOM keeps troops on ground despite Syria-Turkey talks

After letting its focus on Syria slip, the United States is now having to sit by and watch as the Assad regime continues to engage with Turkey. If the two neighbours do restore ties, this could pull the US back into the regional troubles and call into question the presence of US troops in northeast Syria.

United States
Razor's Edge gains firmer foothold in US intelligence

The investment fund is continuing its shopping spree among companies seeking to break into the US intelligence sector. Its former protégé, BlackHorse Solutions, has just won a major contract on the DARPA programme to improve penetration testing.

The Agencies' Gazette
Moldovan security council, Russia's data border crack down, Xi Jinping and Moscow, Ankara struggling with PKK

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week, we bring news from Ankara, Moscow, Chisinau and Beijing.

MoldovaPresidential cabinet musical chairs.

RussiaRoskomnadzor strengthens border controls.

China/RussiaBeijing gets involved in peace efforts in Europe.

Turkey/IraqAnkara searches for equipment to fight PKK in northern Iraq.

United Kingdom
New ISR-oriented consulting firm Pinnacle Atlas launches in Middle East

ISR technology firm Seven Technologies' insolvency last month has been swiftly followed by the creation of other firms, including Pinnacle Atlas, which is well-connected in Saudi Arabia.

European Union, Georgia, UAE
EU supplying Georgia with cyber tools via UN and distributor SAT

The European Union (EU) has decided to supply cyber arms to EU membership applicant Georgia. It is supplying systems from Emirati forensics and cyber intelligence systems distributor Scientific Analytical Tools (SAT) via the United Nations Office for Project Services.

Spymaster | France
New DGSI technical director Philippe Chose thrown headfirst into French cyber rivalries

The French domestic intelligence agency's new technical director will need to navigate the assorted cyber ambitions within France's intelligence apparatus, including those of his former employer, the French administration's interceptions service.

Spotlight | China, Russia
Chinese zero-day hunters skirt restrictions via Russian platforms

Increasing numbers of Chinese vulnerability researchers are selling their findings via specialised Russian platforms, in the context of stricter regulation of the sector in China. The emerging trend also puts China's ability to collect zero days via cohorts of disciplined hackers into perspective.

Russia
Financial intelligence remains last Russian bastion open to international cooperation

The discreet Russian financial intelligence service Rosfinmonitoring, which has been closely involved in international cooperation against the financing of terrorism, is an anomaly among Russian agencies, keeping the door open to cooperation on intelligence sharing with foreign partners.