Gaming and Extremism - Understanding the Threats in the Digital Playground

As conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza unfold, the term "open-source intelligence" (OSINT) has taken center stage. But what exactly is OSINT, and why is it so crucial for intelligence analysis in today’s information-saturated world? In this episode, Martina Nitti joins Arnold Kochka to provide an overview of emerging OSINT techniques and what has changed since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. We dive into the nature of OSINT, its growing role in deciphering real-time events, and the tools that can help newcomers and experts alike sift through social media and data streams to find the truth.

In early August 2024, Ukraine launched an unexpected offensive into the Russian region of Kursk, catching Moscow off guard. Ukrainian forces swiftly took control of over 90 settlements, leaving the Russian government scrambling to respond. Now, the Kremlin is declaring a state of emergency and deploying inexperienced conscripts. Where is the conflict heading and what implications could these developments have for Western security? In this episode, William Adams joins Arnold Koch to provide us with a deeper understanding of these developments.

In this episode of the Threat Intelligence Podcast, host Derrick T. Dortch dives into the complex and emerging world of extremism in gaming spaces with our distinguished guest, Linda Schlegel. As a research fellow at both the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) - Center for Applied Research on Deradicalization, Linda brings a wealth of expertise to this crucial discussion. Linda is a former intern at The Counterterrorism Group and will share about the intersection of gaming and extremism and how extremist groups are exploiting digital gaming spaces and the challenges this poses, and much more.

In this episode, Derrick T. Dortch joins Scott Kim, a seasoned Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) practitioner with years of experience at Fortune 10 companies specializing in threat research on ransomware groups and nation-state actors. Recently, Scott has presented at European conferences and shares his research on the latest cyber threats impacting today's world. In June 2024, Scott presented "Bandwagon Effects and Cyber Deceptions: ALPHV's Assault on Optum and the AT&T Outage" at the 2024 Hague Threat Intelligence Exchange (Hague TIX) in The Hague, Netherlands, hosted by Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs. In July 2024, he also delivered a presentation titled "Mitigating the Disruptive Impact of IoT Botnets in Cyberspace: A Case Study on the Mirai Botnet" at the Trusted Internet Summer School on Internet Governance and International Law (SSIGIL) in Łódź, Poland, hosted by the University of Łódź at the Faculty of Law and Administration. Additionally, Scott serves as the Vice President of the FBI Dallas Citizens Academy Alumni Association, where he oversees operational functions, manages social media engagement, and leads community outreach initiatives. He also teaches criminal justice courses as an associate faculty member. Scott previously worked as a CTG intern and progressed to the role of Cybersecurity Project Manager. He holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Lamar University and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Pre-Law from the University of Texas at Arlington.  

Brazil is a jewel of nature, diversity, and resources that dominates the Eastern front of the Americas. It is also a country where some of the most violent, dangerous, and powerful criminal organizations in Latin America are based. Brazil’s ports make it an ideal hub for trans-Atlantic illicit trafficks, while its northern and Western borders allow for the transit of people and all kinds of products to almost every other South American country. In this episode, Enrico Dal Cine joins Arnold Koch to offer an overview of the country’s main criminal organizations and their businesses.

Women face disproportionate threats and violence, and it is crucial to explore and tackle the critical issues surrounding women’s security. Featuring insights from an experienced security analyst, in this episode, we explore the challenges that women face on a daily basis, how to improve awareness and establish safer environments for women everywhere. From personal safety to systemic issues, our guest will provide an overview of the factors driving violence, while also offering tips and actionable strategies to enhance personal safety and empower women to take control of their security.

Colombia is rich in culture, history, and natural beauty. For decades, however, it has been plagued by the scourge of drug trafficking and organized crime. Cartels, terrorists, militias, and paramilitary groups led decades of violence and instability that have impacted the lives of millions, and of a nation. In this episode, Enrico Dal Cine joins Arnold Koch to delve into the origins and current landscape of drug cartels in Colombia, looking into the current key players, their tactics, and what Colombian society and government do to combat them.

In our time, information is power, and artificial intelligence can become a great tool to improve our use and of information, but also to manipulate it. The increasing role of AI-enabled tools that blur the distinction between reality and fiction is worrisome, and AI-driven disinformation may be reshaping our understanding of truth. Can the electoral and democratic processes that we engage in our daily lives could be threatened by the use of AI? How do threat actors actually employ it? Who is behind disinformation campaigns on social media platforms? In this episode, Janthe Van Schaik joins Arnold Koch to help us uncover the dynamics of AI disinformation campaigns, the tools used by threat actors, and what we can do to counter them.

The 2024 Olympics are less than three months away, and the international context is as tense as ever.  Terrorism, lone wolves, and cyber attacks are just some of the many security concerns for such a large, international sports event. When discussing security in the Olympics, it is inevitable to think about the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. On that occasion, 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, and a West German police officer were killed by Palestinian Black September terrorists. More than 50 years later, the Israeli-Palestinian issue is again at the center of the global stage, along with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In this episode, Victoire Tissinié and Siddesh Shimpukade join Arnold Koch to help us explore the intelligence failures of the past, the lessons learned, and what threats to watch for the upcoming 2024 Olympics.

North Korea’s policy-making is an ambiguous and shady domain. Little information on the domestic reality of the country filters to the outside world, but the impacts of Pyongyang’s foreign policy on regional - and global - security need to be uncovered. In early 2024, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, announced that the objective of “reunification” with South Korea is no longer considered possible. More than 70 years after the end of the Korean war in 1953, which formally divided the two states, a significant shift in the North’s policies towards the South could have a wider meaning for the region. In this episode, Samuel Pearson and Siddesh Shimpukade join Arnold Koch to provide us with a deeper understanding of the hidden nuances of the Korean peninsula’s security dynamics, with an eye to the potential threats of tomorrow.