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Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence
Start your day with intelligence. Get The OODA Daily Pulse.
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence
Exponential innovation is causing exponential disruption
Exponential innovation is causing exponential disruption
Exponential innovation is causing exponential disruption
This gem from Secrecy News is encouraging: A bill introduced by Congressional Democrats would empower the Government Accountability Office GAO) to perform financial audits and other oversight of U.S. intelligence agencies, a function that those agencies have long resisted. “Since 9/11, effective [intelligence] oversight is needed now more than ever,” said Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)…
Via Secrecy News After years of public controversy, the Department of Energy has adopted a new polygraph testing policy that it said “will significantly reduce the number of individuals who will undergo a polygraph examination.” In particular, “DOE has decided to alter the role of polygraph testing as a required element of the counterintelligence evaluation…
The U.S. Department of Energy still hasn’t done enough to strengthen its cybersecurity protections, exposing critical systems to compromise and putting data at risk, according to a report issued last month by the agency’s inspector general. In his annual report on the status of the agency’s cybersecurity efforts, Inspector General Gregory Friedman did note that…
For a goodly portion of my time in the IC I focused on the technical threats posed by various actors and emerging technologies. While I’ll win no prizes for elegant computer code I like to keep active in the field. Various competing demands force me to stick to writing about pertinent issues and my latest…
Larger post in the works, still gathering data/thoughts. This gem is too good to wait though: Shaffer still works as a civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency and is seeking to have his security clearance restored, according to [his attorney] Zaid. As an Army reservist, he’s assigned to the 9th Theater Support Command at…
Richard Clarke sounds off on the past, present and future. It starts out well enough: FIVE years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, three years after the 9/11 commission report, and just weeks before a national election, the issues of what happened before those attacks have resurfaced. Suddenly, we are again witnessing heated disputes…
Interesting development: […] OMB has given a green light for the creation of an Open Source Agency as proposed by Congressman Simmons, strictly contingent on the DNI’s blessing of that agency being outside the wire in order to be fully effective with all those who do not wish to cooperate with an element of the…
In an era of asymmetric threats and workforce demographic pressures, finding ways to share experiences and shorten the learning curve for military personnel has become crucial. Not all information has to be shared through formal channels. Nor should it, when speed is of the essence, or when it’s specialized knowledge for a specific group of…
From probably the best DIA director in recent times comes an idea that, if there is any sanity in our armed forces, should gain traction quickly: Retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes, a former chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 1996 to 1999, and whose military career encompassed irregular warfare from Vietnam through Somalia and…
An interesting development that went mostly un-noticed in the broader press coverage dealing with homeland security. The short version is that while the Zotob worm was running rough-shod over the ‘Net last August CBP computer systems went belly-up. The initial reports said that the worm was to blame, but that was quickly retracted and the…
Bob Zukis is a man on a mission to improve the ability of corporate America to succeed in a complex digital world, even when under constant cyber attack. Bob is the CEO and founder of the Digital Directors Network, the global pioneer in helping corporate directors advance their understanding of systemic risk. We consider Bob…
Adam Shostack is widely known in the cybersecurity world for his pioneering work on disclosing and discussing computer vulnerabilities (the CVE (common vulnerabilities and exposures) list). He also helped formalize and train leading approaches to threat modeling and wrote the foundational book on the subject (Threat Modeling: Designing for Security). In this OODAcast we seek…
Sebastian Mallaby joined the OODAcast for a discussion about the Power Law in venture capital and the rise of the global hedge fund and private equity industries.
Neil Wiley has lead some of the US Intelligence Community’s most important analytical functions. His career in intelligence began as a Naval Intelligence Officer in an operational intelligence center focused on support to critical operational naval missions. He would later serve joint intelligence missions in Europe, would rise to lead all analytical activities at the…
This OODAcast features a fascinating conversation with Michael Gibson, the author of the book “Paper Belt on Fire” who is also the co-founder of the Thiel Fellowship program and the 1517 Fund, both of which focus on identifying unconventional ideas and individuals that can drive disruptive innovation in technology, arts, and science.
In this OODAcast, we talk with Jimmy Soni, the author of the book “The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley”. Jimmy takes a deep, historical look at the founding story of PayPal with detailed analysis, interviews, and access that you won’t find in any other telling of the PayPal…
In this OODAcast we interview one of our close friends and OODA network members, Jen Hoar. Jen is a former journalist-turned-corporate investigator who has leveraged the potent act of asking, and listening, to turn strangers into sources and contacts into clients. Her expertise, which is clearly also her passion, is identifying and interviewing smart people…
Covering technology issues, and specifically cybersecurity as a journalist is a tough endeavor. Some of these technologies are complex as are the security vulnerabilities often inherent in their deployment and making these topics broadly accessible can be a challenge. Many of the underlying issues touch upon national security and civil liberties creating an interesting nexus…
Lawrence Gasman has researched and reported on quantum technologies from the beginning of the discipline of quantum computing. He is now the President of Inside Quantum Technology (IQT), which provides in-depth business intelligence for the quantum technology industry. IQT also runs several major quantum technology conferences as well as a quantum industry news service. On…
In 2020, we launched the OODAcast video and podcast series designed to provide insightful analysis and actionable intelligence to decision makers. In this 100th episode, co-hosts Matt Devost and Bob Gourley review some of the key insights from the series. Matt and Bob also discuss a OODA’s recent assessment of risks and opportunities given the…
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence