Covert Contact: The Blogs of War Podcast

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Covert Contact covers the key national security, intelligence, and technology stories that are shaping our world. Covert Contact is hosted by Blogs of War creator John W. Little. His work and analysis has been featured on the BBC, CNN, CBC, ABC (Australia), PBS Newshour, Fast Company, CBS, and ot…

John W. Little

  • Oct 1, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
  • weekdays NEW EPISODES
  • 31m AVG DURATION
  • 117 EPISODES


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Latest episodes from Covert Contact: The Blogs of War Podcast

Shortwave Numbers Stations | Episode 118

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2020 32:02


Scot Terban joined me to discuss the use of shortwave numbers stations, recently declassified KGB investigative techniques for identifying recipients of those broadcasts, how shortwave has changed with the introduction of the internet, and technologies such as software defined radio (SDR) that make capturing mysterious signals affordable (sometimes free) and easier than ever.

Chinese Spies in US Law Enforcement – And Everywhere Else | Episode 117

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2020 31:24


The regular counterintelligence chat with William Tucker is a day late but full of new Chinese espionage activity in the NYPD, the EU, and beyond. We also touch on intelligence history and why literature from the Middle Ages or beyond is not only fascinating but still relevant.

The Threat of Fake Spies | Episode 116

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2020 24:19


William Tucker returns to discuss the incredible case of Garrison Courtney and Alpha-214. Posing as a CIA NOC Courtney was able to engineer a scheme that duped numerous beltway contractors, intelligence officials, former military officers and many others.

Election Threats and Disrupting Chinese Espionage | Episode 115

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 25:17


William Tucker joins me for our weekly counterintelligence chat. In this episode we discuss the recent report for Microsoft that details Russian, Chinese, and Iranian attacks on individuals and organizations tied to our presidential campaigns and the recent move to revoke the visas of more than 1,000 Chinese grad students and researchers who have been deemed security risks.

French Officer Busted Spying on NATO for GRU & Other Espionage Cases | 114

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2020 23:33


William Tucker joins me to discuss two high profile cases this week, sloppy Chinese tradecraft, and why it always pays to visit the FBI before the FBI visits you.

Russians Targeted Tesla Gigafactory in Ransomware Plot | Episode 113

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020 33:04


Scot Terban is back to discuss the plot, common points of vulnerability, and what you can do it, like a Tesla employee, you find yourself in the middle of a Russian criminal plot.

Texas A&M, NASA, and Chinese Espionage | Episode 112

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2020 26:26


William Tucker joins me to discuss the Zhengdong Cheng case, how Chinese espionage might need to evolve, global awareness of the scope of China’s spying, and how organizations can protect themselves if they haven’t started evaluating their own risk.

Careers in Intelligence: Beyond the Three Letter Agencies |Episode 111

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2020 35:41


Dean Baratta joins me to discuss the rapidly diversifying and expanding non-traditional career paths in intelligence. We also touch on some tips for those looking to enter the field.

Spying for Russia: The Peter Debbins Case | Episode 110

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2020 21:57


William Tucker joins me again to look into yesterday’s indictment of Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, a former Green Beret alleged to have worked for Russian intelligence for over a decade.

Counterintelligence Chat: Alexei Navalny & Alexander Ma | Episode 109

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2020 24:46


William Tucker returns to look at the apparent poisoning of Alexei Navalny and yet another Chinese espionage case, this time involving Alexander Ma. It’s a classic case, with a Hawaii connection, and there’s likely more interesting details to come. You can follow William Tucker on Twitter @tuckerwj

Preparing for A Career in Intelligence: Thoughts on Personal Security and Behavior | Episode 108

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2020 37:28


Former CIA officer Maggie Gwynne joins me to discuss how those interested in pursuing a career in intelligence should manage their profiles (online and off) and conduct themselves to prepare for a challenging recruitment and training period.

Understanding the Israel-UAE Deal | Episode 107

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2020 17:08


Alon Pinkas, who served as foreign policy advisor to Ehud Barak, political advisor to Shimon Peres, Chief of Staff to four Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Consul General of Israel in New York City returns to Covert Contact for a quick dive on the drivers behind the deal and what it means for the region.

A Pardon for Edward Snowden? | Episode 106

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2020 25:04


William Tucker returns to discuss the Edward Snowden case after President Trump made remarks on the case that sparked new speculation about a potential pardon.

Washington Takes Aim at the Confucius Institute | Episode 105

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2020 24:22


Today’s decision to force the Confucius Institute to register as a foreign mission is the subject of my regular Thursday evening counterintelligence chat with Covert Contact regular William Tucker. We look at why it was necessary and where we, and China, might go from here. You can follow William Tucker on Twitter @tuckerwj

Israel and The United States: Past, Present, and Future with Alon Pinkas | Episode 104

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2020 34:45


Alon Pinkas joins Covert Contact to look at the state of the relationship, look at where it could (and should) evolve, and to dive into some of the socio-political dynamics that shape the relationship and how it is viewed from both sides.

Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy | Episode 103

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2020 40:54


Australian journalist Stilgherrian, who's been covering internet policy for more than a decade, and has been closely following Australia's cybersecurity and digital surveillance laws for global tech site ZDNet returns to Covert Contact to discuss Australia's recently released 2020 cyber security strategy.

Chinese Spies and Russian Honey Traps | Episode 102

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2020 35:45


William Tucker returns for our regular Thursday evening counterintelligence chat. We start off by discussing the resource and coordination challenges in addressing Chinese espionage but quickly pivot to thoughts on Russian cases, honey traps, and the universally terrible outcomes experienced by American defectors and spies.

Quick Take: An Explosion in Beirut | Episode 101

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2020 6:44


A massive explosion has rocked Beirut at a critical time in Lebanon’s history. In this quick take I share some concerns about what could happen next.

Online Security: Avoiding a Personal October Surprise | Episode 100

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2020 46:33


Infosec professional and security blogger Scot Terban joins me to discuss the recent LinkedIn spying case, the degrading environments in social media, and strategies for improving your personal security so that you don't get targeted, compromised, and swept into your own (or someone else's) October surprise.

Chinese Espionage in the United States | Episode 99

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 24:24


William Tucker is back to discuss the scale of Chinese espionage in the United States and some of the misconceptions that have hampered our response to the threat.

Shaping Intelligence Products for Maximum Impact | Episode 98

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2020 58:28


Dean Baratta returns for a discussion about the never-ending need to develop and refine intelligence products so that they meet customer needs, build customer trust, and land with the greatest possible impact.

When You Can’t Obey | Episode 97

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2020 50:20


Pauline Shanks Kaurin, Ph.D joins Covert Contact to discuss ethical and moral dilemmas and how we can prepare ourselves for the eventual challenge of facing them.

What’s Happening at the Chinese Consulate in Houston? | Episode 96

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2020 12:35


Houston rarely finds itself at the center of geopolitical drama but that changed overnight as firefighters and police surrounded the Chinese consulate as staff there began burning massive amounts of documentation in the building's courtyard.

Covert Contact is Back | Episode 95

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2020 30:31


Dean Baratta joins Covert Contact as we resume production after a nearly two year hiatus. We touch on some of the macro problems the world is facing with and where the show is heading from here.

The Poisoning of Sergei Skripal | Episode 94

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2018 30:17


Fred Burton, former deputy chief of counterterrorism at the Diplomatic Security Service and the author of GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent, Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent’s Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice, and Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi joined me shortly after the attack on Sergei […]

Team Leadership & Ethics | Episode 93

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2018 39:04


In his 3+ years as Chief of the Analysis Bureau at New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Dean Baratta led a very capable team of intelligence analysts. Dean was a critical part of a small team that was widely recognized for its innovative approaches. Now, as he moves on to another project, he […]

The Jerry Chun Shing Lee Case | Episode 92

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2018 32:41


William J. Tucker, a regular contributor on counterintelligence and security topics for Blogs of War and Covert Contact, returns for a look at the Jerry Chun Shing Lee case. Jerry Chun Shing Lee, a former CIA case officer, is suspected by many to have compromised CIA activities in China but has only been charged with […]

North Korean Cryptocurrency Ops | Episode 91

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2018 30:19


In episode 91 security researcher and Stratfor Global Fellow Scot Terban (AKA Krypt3ia) joins me to discuss North Korea’s sophisticated exploitation of cryptocurrency.

Combatting Misinformation | Episode 90

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2018 31:42


Andrew Trabulsi (entrepreneur, consultant, and co-editor of Warlords, Inc.: Black Markets, Broken States, and the Rise of the Warlord Entrepreneur) joins me to discuss misinformation, the technology and platforms facilitating it, and the challenges faced in combatting it.

Evaluating the North Korean Threat | Episode 89

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2017 31:41


Phil Walter joins returns to the show to look at how the U.S. processes and evaluates the threat posed by North Korea. We try to separate the rhetoric and action to cut through the hype. We examine American concepts of security and risk and how emotional responses drive both. Is war with North Korea likely? […]

Protecting the British Royal Family | Episode 88

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2017 28:23


Protecting the British royal family is incredibly difficult. Fred Burton, former deputy chief of counterterrorism at the Diplomatic Security Service and the author of GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent, Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent’s Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice, and Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in […]

Beyond Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency Investing | Episode 87

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2017 41:12


Andrew Trabulsi (entrepreneur, consultant, and co-editor of Warlords, Inc.: Black Markets, Broken States, and the Rise of the Warlord Entrepreneur) joins me to discuss Cryptocurrency investing. We look at how blockchain and cryptocurrency models have evolved since the introduction of Bitcoin. For those new to the technologies and markets we share the easiest way to get started, important […]

Bullets of Palestine | Episode 86

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2017 32:36


Author Howard Kaplan returns to Covert Contact to discuss Bullets of Palestine (the second novel in his Jerusalem Spy Series), chronic tensions in the Middle East, the prospect for reconciliation, Abu Nidal, and his approach to writing. Longtime listeners will recognize Howard from episode 21 where we discussed the first novel in the series.

Terrorists and Technology | Episode 85

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2017 46:01


Levi West, Director of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, returns to look at how terrorists leverage (or don’t leverage) emerging apps and platforms ranging from social media, to encryption, to cryptocurrencies. We do our best to cut through the hype and look at the very real limits and challenges terrorists face when […]

Economic Espionage: No One Is Immune | Episode 84

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2017 31:26


William J. Tucker, a regular contributor on counterintelligence and security topics for Blogs of War and Covert Contact, joins me for a deep dive on economic espionage. Organizations face far more risk from this threat than they realize, or want to realize, and most are no match for an interested foreign intelligence service. We discuss […]

Iraq’s Consolidation and the Kurds | Episode 83

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2017 36:23


Iraq has made surprising gains in its effort to undermine or eliminate Kurdish autonomy since mid-October when we first visited this issue. Phillip Smyth joins me again to look at recent developments and the potential implications. Phillip Smyth is a researcher at the University of Maryland who focuses on Iran-backed Shiite proxy groups. He is also […]

The Crypto Wars: Update from the Australian Front | Episode 82

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2017 31:48


Australian freelance journalist, commentator, and broadcaster Stilgherrian is back to discuss the battle over encryption and the seemingly irreconcilable differences between governments and privacy advocates. The Australian government has been particularly active in this space lately and Stil has a lot to say about their approach to the problem and how they could drive responses […]

From CIA Case Officer to Rookie Cop | Episode 81

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2017 40:22


Former CIA Case Officer Patrick Skinner has appeared on Covert Contact several times to discuss intelligence issues and break down significant terrorist attacks. Last year, driven by more than a little frustration and a desire to act locally, Patrick decided to make a fascinating career transition and become a local police officer. In episode 81 […]

The Kurdish Problem | Episode 80

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2017 32:30


Phillip Smyth is a researcher at the University of Maryland who focuses on Iran-backed Shiite proxy groups. He is also widely known for his Hizballah Cavalcade project on Jihadology. Phillip joined me, with very short notice, to push out this look at the complexities surrounding the Kurdish drive for independence and how that looks to play out given […]

Propaganda, Influence, and Disruption | Episode 79

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2017 26:27


Andrew Trabulsi, a strategy, technology, and intelligence consultant and co-editor of Warlords, Inc.: Black Markets, Broken States, and the Rise of the Warlord Entrepreneur, joins me in episode 79 to look at recent developments in the social media space of the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. election and what the evidence says about our ability (or […]

Australian Cyber Policy | Episode 78

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2017 41:44


Episode 78 wraps up a full month of focus on Australian defense perspectives with a look at

Australian Approaches to Counterterrorism | Episode 77

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2017 38:35


The third week of episodes focused on Australian security perspectives continues with a discussion about Australia’s approach to counterterrorism with Levi West. Levi is the Director of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University in Canberra. Our discussion is wide ranging and spans how the university’s terrorism program is structured, the legal framework governing security operations […]

Australian Special Operations Forces | Episode 76

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2017 32:39


I’m joined by Colonel Ian Langford, DSC (Two Bar), who has served the Australian Army and Special Operations Command, with distinction, for over two decades. He has served in the Solomon Islands, East Timor, Bougainville, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Afghanistan where he was recognized with the Distinguished Service Cross for distinguished command and leadership […]

Understanding and Developing Resilience To Information Warfare | Episode 75

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2017 30:20


Dr. Clint Arizmendi, an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow for the Australian Graduate School of Policing & Security’s Terrorism Studies program at Charles Sturt University, joins me to discuss information warfare in episode 75. Of course, we look at the subject primarily through the lens of current events. Russia is covered, as is the Trump administration, […]

Deep State Conspiracies | Episode 74

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2017 28:53


Alex Finley, a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, joined me to discuss the rise of deep state conspiracies that often feature a monolithic, highly partisan, intelligence community at their center. Much of Alex’s work (see the hilarious Victor in the Rubble and The Intelligence Community: Smart People Looking at Computers) demystifies the […]

Data, AI, and Ethics | Episode 73

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2017 27:24


Entrepreneur Evanna Hu joins me to discuss our rapidly evolving relationship with data. The explosion of data streams and technologies that offload challenging analysis to machines are creating interesting national security challenges and opportunities at lightening speed. Evanna, and her company Omelas, seek to leverage these technologies to address hard national security problems (such as […]

Beyond Russia: Overlooked Counterintelligence Threats | Episode 72

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2017 28:50


Russian intelligence presents a significant challenge for the United States but it is far from the only threat. There are dozens of nations and non-state actors actively collecting against us at any given time. There are countless companies engaging in corporate espionage. Every organization has a hostile insider – or will soon enough. Threats are […]

System Failure: It Only Gets More Difficult from Here | Episode 71

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2017 25:14


What if Charlottesville and the dysfunction in Washington are not aberrations? What happens if the challenges facing society and governance only get more difficult for our current failing systems and leaders to tackle? Authoritarianism is on the rise. The threat of fascism is no longer mere hyperbole. There’s a growing sense that profound trouble lies […]

Iran in the Age of Trump | Episode 70

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2017 27:50


Phillip Smyth is a researcher at the University of Maryland who focuses on Iran-backed Shiite proxy groups. He is also well-known for his Hizballah Cavalcade project on Jihadology. In episode 70 Phillip joins me for a quick look at how the change in U.S. leadership is impacting the balance of sectarian power and our policy toward Iran. Are […]

Securing Data, Communications, and Identity with Keybase | Episode 69

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2017 35:41


Keybase is a small but ambitious company that aims to make cyrpto available and virtually seamless for everyone. Their approach to this problem, a massively challenging one that hasn’t really been cracked to date, has been creative. However, the flexibility and scope of potential applications hasn’t always been obvious as they’ve slowly scaled up from […]

Egyptian, Muslim, American | Episode 68

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2017 29:43


My friend Angie Gad joins me for episode 68 of Covert Contact to discuss growing up as a first generation Egyptian-American Muslim. We cover a lot of ground in this episode including her family’s struggle to maintain and establish roots in two very different worlds, her own challenges doing the same, her efforts to find […]

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