Season 2 of the ShadowDragon podcast is here! In the first episode, CEO dclemens and CTO elliottanderson were joined by the Dutch OSINT guy, NicoDekens.
Did you know that Nico, who joined ShadowDragon as Director of Intelligence, Collection Innovation at the end of 2022, is an active instructor at the SANS Institute? He teaches the course SEC497: Practical Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), and is the lead author for SEC587: Advanced Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Gathering and Analysis. Check out his Instructor Spotlight!
In Season 2, Episode 1, the team discusses changes and lessons learned in the world of OSINT since the end of podcast season 1. They cover everything from the evolution of the internet landscape, to the latest trends in counter social media, the use of technology in cybercrime and modern warfare, and more. This no holds barred conversation examines OSINT methodology, tactics, and the current state of affairs from the perspective of ShadowDragon.
Key Themes from Season 2, Episode 1:
The newest social media platforms are like a new drug. People are chasing social media sites like they chase drugs – for the dopamine hit. When there’s something new in the market, people are either going to try it and like it, or they’re going to stick with the thing that they’re most comfortable with and they have the most followers.
Social media gives everyone a voice, but no one is actually listening. More free speech alternatives will rise over the next 24 to 36 months. This also means segmentation of social media audiences will result in more disinformation with less accountability.
The war in Ukraine has revealed that Russia was only a regional power, not a global power. Their disinformation attempts were defeated with even quicker counter disinformation. It’s no longer about “this information is true”, “this information is not true”. We are seeing the power of the truth, the role of OSINT as an effective weapon against asymmetrical warfare, and we’ve seen warfare change forever.
Smartphones are replacing traditional spying devices. Eyes and ears are everywhere now with people using smartphones. Honest intelligence from people with smartphones is contributing to the OSINT landscape now more than ever.
The power of drones to be used as a weapon is much higher than people realize. Drones will be a key part of the zeitgeist of this decade. There are still a lot of unanswered questions around who is using drones for what, but there is definitely an intimidation factor involved.
OSINT analysts must look beyond Google. If Google is your only search tool, you’re missing key OSINT sources. Google is great at a lot of things, but it’s not the entire internet. It’s amazing what you can discover on other search engines depending on what you’re looking for. Food reviews, dating apps, sports sites, and gaming forums are also examples of valuable sources.
You can find all the ways to watch and listen to this ShadowDragon podcast here. Stay tuned for more thought-provoking episodes and conversations with experts from within the OSINT world!
For tools to help you apply some of the “pinch” techniques mentioned in the podcast, check out Spotter by ShadowDragon. You can also find other great cyber investigative tools and training from ShadowDragon.
