“U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)” – with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius

Summary

Dennis Eger (LinkedIn) and Shawn Nilius (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss open-source intelligence. Combined, the two have over six decades of service to the U.S. Army. 

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

• What is Open-Source Intelligence 
• How the US Army utilizes and collects OSINT 
• OSINT across the Intelligence Community
• How OSINT has impacted the War in Ukraine

Reflections

• The power of information and how you use it
• Cyber ethics

And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week

“If [civilians are] taking a video and posting it, they become in the cycle … The amount of things that people do on the internet that leaves their data or their information out there – Their data becomes big part of the intelligence cycle and they probably don't even know that they're doing it.” – Dennis Eger.

Resources 

SURFACE SKIM

*SpyCasts*

• My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023)
• Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)
• Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023)
• Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023)

*Beginner Resources*

• A Brief History of the US Army, R. Guina, The Military Wallet (2024) [Short article]
• What is Open-Source Intelligence? OSINT Dojo, YouTube (2023) [7 min. video]
• A Brief History of Open Source Intelligence, C. Colquhoun, Bellingcat (2016) [Short article]

DEEPER DIVE

Books

• OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023) 
• Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023)
• Open Source Intelligence Methods and Tools: A Practical Guide to Online Intelligence, N. A. Hassan & R. Hijazi (Apress, 2018) 

Primary Sources 

• The IC OSINT Strategy (2024) 
• Invasion of Ukraine on Google Maps (2022)
• Ethical Frameworks in Open-Source Intelligence (2022) 
• Open-Source Intelligence, Department of the Army (2012) 
• Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004) 

*Wildcard Resource*

• While OSINT may seem like the new kid on the intelligence block, its foundations have actually been around perhaps longer than any other -INT.
• During the Civil War, the Bureau of Military Information collected open-source information from Southern newspapers to track the Confederate army. Check out this letter from Abraham Lincoln citing intelligence gathered on the location of Southern troops. 

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