Alex Blackwell
@alexblackwell.bsky.social
b9a45e5942ca3940f7a811fc93e4ffd0
Burglars are often the best home security consultants. arstechnica.com/security/202...
Confused about which VPN is right, US senator asks the NSA for guidance
Open source, commercial, single-hop, multi-hop, mixnet? The array of options is dizzying.
arstechnica.com
“Despite my belief in Stoic philosophy, I find it hard to accept that occasionally God is on the side of the truly wicked.” – Duane “Dewey” Clarridge (“A Spy For All Seasons”)
Beyond Honor: A Novel “A paramilitary operative confronting his grief on a path of retribution. A CIA analyst hunting a conspiracy that leads to the Oval Office.” www.amazon.com/dp/1668229781/
“…a farcical 1970s spy yarn starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as a pair of CIA loose cannons with loud mouths and even louder shirts.” www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
Oscar contender Wild Horse Nine is a fierce attack on the CIA - and may divide US viewers
The new film by Irish director Martin McDonagh stars John Malkovich as a 1970s agent wrestling with his conscience and in danger of spilling secrets. It's a spy yarn with real bite.
bbc.com
If one didn’t know any better, one might think the Trump Administration doesn’t know what the hell it’s doing. www.politico.com/news/magazin...
The Iranian Regime’s Dynamics Are Fooling Trump
The government in Tehran has plenty of debates over tactics, but it’s not fracturing — yet.
politico.com
“In our line of work, security and privacy are a zero sum game.” – Ed Giorgio, former chief cryptanalyst for the NSA
A new open access article. doi.org/10.1080/0885...
Processual Foundations of Modern Intelligence Studies
Building on early classified appraisals of the “static” and “undertheorized” development of Intelligence Studies (IS), and drawing on processists like Whitehead, Korzybski, Rescher, and Penn, the a...
doi.org
“The central question is therefore not whether America should manufacture a new Iran, but whether it is prepared for the Iran that may emerge when the Islamic Republic finally collapses.” blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-cias-cov...
The Blogs: The CIA’s Covert Action for Regime Change in Iran
From the blog of Erfan Fard at The Times of Israel
blogs.timesofisrael.com
Cave was a legend in the NESA Division. And he was an officer, not an agent. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/u...
George Cave, C.I.A. Officer With a Role in Iran-Contra, Dies at 97
He worked throughout the Middle East before joining a secret team that tried to obtain the release of Western hostages in Lebanon in exchange for arms sent to Iran.
nytimes.com
I and the public know What all schoolchildren learn, Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return. – W. H. Auden ("September 1, 1939")
“‘But I would say, if something changes in Russia, then it will happen in a very rapid manner and we will all be surprised. It will be an overnight thing, if it ever happens.’” - Kaupo Rosin, Head Director of Estonia’s Välisluureamet. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...
“‘We want access to all the models, and we’re going to take advantage of that,’ [NSA deputy director] Tim Kosiba said on a panel at an Intelligence and National Security event in Bethesda, Maryland.” www.nextgov.com/artificial-i...
NSA wants access to ‘all’ AI models, top official says
The spy agency is taking a key role in the government’s new voluntary model-testing program, though its deputy director did not say which companies are participating.
nextgov.com
Satan, one of your top draft picks is headed your way. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/w...
Ratko Mladic, Murderous ‘Butcher of Bosnia,’ Dies at 83
A general during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, he was convicted in the killing of some 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica, Europe’s deadliest massacre since World War II.
nytimes.com
“TAO’s coding savants helped craft the digital weapon known as Stuxnet. The unit grew from several hundred to over 2,000 personnel before it was renamed Computer Network Operations roughly a decade ago and reorganized.” therecord.media/nsa-to-host-...
Exclusive: NSA to host a hacker reunion in bid to rebuild secretive unit
The National Security Agency will welcome back to campus potentially hundreds of former members of the elite group known as Tailored Access Operations (TAO) to celebrate the division’s recent rebrandi...
therecord.media
“‘Nobody hired us for our brotherly love, Ned. That’s just not what they put us spooks on earth for. We knew that when we signed up.’” — John le Carré (“The Russia House”)
“The [C-17] airframe is especially valuable for sensitive diplomatic visits, allowing leaders to bring a tailored suite of specialized vehicles, electronic equipment and support personnel.” The “VIP package” is modular. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
CIA director’s secretive visit to Moscow stirs mystery
A Kremlin spokesman said John Ratcliffe did not meet with Vladimir Putin and that it was "premature" to say whether the trip would affect fraught U.S.-Russia relations.
washingtonpost.com
Iran inflicted billions in damage to U.S. intelligence sites, sources say www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...
Iran inflicted billions in damage to U.S. intelligence sites, sources say
The attacks on buildings and surveillance equipment in the Middle East caused unprecedented damage for the CIA and other U.S. spy agencies.
nbcnews.com
A new open access article. doi.org/10.1080/0885...
Butler Ignored: Artificial Intelligence and the Next Intelligence Failure
This article examines the problem of epistemic certainty in intelligence analysis through a comparative reflection on the Butler Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction and the contem...
doi.org
“Fan-favorite shows ‘FBI’ and ‘CIA’ will team up for a major crossover when they return for their next seasons in the fall.” An interagency softball game would be historically accurate. meaww.com/is-there-a-c...
CBS’ ‘FBI’ and ‘CIA’ set to start their seasons with crossovers
Fan-favorite shows ‘FBI’ and ‘CIA’ will team up for a major crossover when they return for their next seasons in the fall.
meaww.com
“Golding on Monday told ESPN that Ole Miss didn't hire the FBI, but that a student's dad who was an FBI agent helped with the search in the Rebels' offices.” www.espn.com/college-foot...
Ole Miss had FBI sweep for bugs after Lane Kiffin's exit for LSU
The executive director of Ole Miss' NIL collective said FBI agents searched the Rebels' football office for recording devices after Lane Kiffin left for rival LSU.
espn.com
“Josh Brolin…recently revealed that a third installment in the Sheridan-penned action thriller franchise ‘is happening’ in the near future.” deadline.com/2026/08/josh...
Josh Brolin Says 'Sicario 3' "Is Happening"
After nearly a decade, CIA officer Matt Graver is still waging his war against Mexican drug cartels in Taylor Sheridan's 'Sicario' cinematic universe.
deadline.com
“‘You can see their presence, usually adversarial to us and our allies, in nearly every engagement we have fought in recently, and wherever we seek to defend ourselves and our allies.’” www.afcea.org/signal-media...
NSA Motivated by Threat Posed by China
Deputy director of the National Security Agency: The race with China is one 'that we absolutely must win.'
afcea.org
I’m sure NSA’s Office of Security and Counterintelligence loves a pre-employment press release. www.unc.edu/discover/exp...
Expert in knot theory heads to NSA | UNC-Chapel Hill
Former lawyer Andrew Adair came to Carolina for a doctorate in mathematics, his first passion.
unc.edu
“The company’s services include private cyber defense, family digital security, protection against fraud and impersonation, international travel security, geopolitical and threat intelligence, and tailored briefings for executives.” www.securityweek.com/former-nsa-d...
Former NSA Director Paul Nakasone Launches National Security Advisory Firm
Paul M. Nakasone, former director of the NSA and commander of U.S. Cyber Command, launched Nakasone Group, a boutique national security advisory firm.
securityweek.com
This could have CI consequences. Formers with heads full of secrets and no income. What could possibly go wrong? www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
CIA staff exodus leaves new retirees waiting months for benefits
The spy agency is swamped by what it calls an “unprecedented number” of retirements as the Trump administration aims to shrink its workforce.
washingtonpost.com
“Pavel Sverdlik’s wife, Anastasia, also worked within structures belonging to the Ministry of Defence.” www.thebarentsobserver.com/security/the...
The GRU family: How Russian intelligence officers and their wives settled in Norway
Moscow continues to send GRU officers to Norway under diplomatic cover. The Barents Observer looks at their identities.
thebarentsobserver.com
