SpyCast
TOP SECRET Personal Attention, SpyCast Listeners Known to be the podcast real spies listen to -(STOP)- eavesdrop on conversations with high level sources from around the world -(STOP)- spychiefs molehunters defectors covert operators analysts cyberwarriors and researchers debriefed by SPY Historian Hammond -(STOP) stories secrets tradecraft and technology discussed -(STOP)- HUMINT SIGINT OSINT IMINT GEOINT and more -(STOP)- rumored to be professional education internal communication and public information -(STOP)- entire back catalog available online for free -(STOP)- please investigate this claim with all possible haste -(STOP)- SPY Historian Hammond said to have a Scottish accent -(STOP)- is this a countermeasure or a hearts-and-minds campaign? (END TELEGRAM)
Episodes
April 23, 2024 • 66 mins
Summary
Angie Gad (LinkedIn, Website) joined Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss her career in intelligence analysis. Angie is a first-generation Egyptian-American.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The role of state fusion centers to national intelligence
How counterterrorism analysis evolved after 9/11
The connections between ISIS and Far Right Extremists
The mental health implications of counterterrorism
Reflections
The impor...
Mark as Played
April 16, 2024 • 77 mins
Summary
Mark Stout (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his new book, World War I and the Foundations of American Intelligence. Mark Stout is a former intelligence analyst and former SPY Historian.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The first American intelligence “agencies”
Codebreaking during WWI
The American Protective League and spy paranoia
WWI’s effect on American culture and politics
Reflections
Challeng...
Mark as Played
April 9, 2024 • 76 mins
Summary
Andrew Hampton joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in New Zealand. Andrew is the Director General of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The New Zealand Intelligence Community
How geography effects national security
The lasting impact of the Christchurch Mosque attacks
New Zealand’s relationship with China
Reflections
The power of community organization
The n...
Mark as Played
April 2, 2024 • 78 mins
Summary
David Oranchak (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his work helping to solve the 340 Zodiac cipher. Dave is a software developer and avid puzzle solver.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The difference between codes and ciphers
The cryptological methods used by the Zodiac killer
The history of cryptography and its importance to intelligence
How Dave and his team cracked the 340 Cipher
Reflections
Pers...
Mark as Played
March 26, 2024 • 72 mins
Summary
Mark Edlitz (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss how James Bond lived on in literature after the death of Ian Fleming. Mark is an author and pop culture expert.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The original Fleming novels
Intellectual property and author’s rights to iconic characters
The evolution of Bond as a literary character
The relationship between the Bond books and the Bond movies
Reflections
...
Mark as Played
March 19, 2024 • 73 mins
Summary
Mark Zaid (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss American intelligence and the law. You’ve heard of a “lawyer to the stars,” Mark is the “lawyer to the spies”
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The quirks of being a lawyer in this space
How the Espionage Act works in practice
The trial of the Rosenbergs
The origins of FOIA and its purpose
The Legal foundations underpinning espionage and intelligence
Reflect...
Mark as Played
March 12, 2024 • 73 mins
Summary
Dr. Sara Castro (LinkedIn, Bio) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the history of US-China diplomacy. Sara is an Associate Professor of History at the United States Air Force Academy.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
The Dixie Mission
The history of US-China relations dating back to the Opium Wars
China’s involvement with the OSS during WWII
How Mao Zedong & Chiang Kai-shek built modern China
Reflections
Understa...
Mark as Played
March 5, 2024 • 74 mins
Summary
Mike VanBlaricum (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his journey as a James Bond fanatic and collector. Mike is the President of the Ian Fleming Foundation.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
How Mike became an obsessive James Bond collector with 10,000 artifacts
Mike’s favorite Bond cars, movies, and books
How From Russia with Love was one of John F Kennedy’s favorite books
Mike’s tips on the best place to ...
Mark as Played
February 27, 2024 • 69 mins
Summary
Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
How psychology can be useful to national security
Historical examples of leadership analysis
Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis...
Mark as Played
February 20, 2024 • 73 mins
Summary
Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
How psychology can be useful to national security
Historical examples of leadership analysis
Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis...
Mark as Played
February 13, 2024 • 79 mins
Summary
Leon Panetta (Panetta Institute) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his lifetime of American public service. Secretary Panetta was the 2023 recipient of SPY’s William H. Webster Award.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
Directing the Central Intelligence Agency
Intelligence & the Abbottabad Raid
Working within the Clinton Administration
A life’s dedication to the safety of the American public
Reflections
The power ...
Mark as Played
February 6, 2024 • 72 mins
Summary
Rory Cormac (X) and Richard Aldrich join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and the British Monarchy. The links between the royals and espionage prove the Crown to be far more than just a figurehead.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
Prince William’s internship with British Intelligence
How Elizabeth II knew perhaps more secrets that anyone else in history
King Charles' love of intelligence
Queen Victoria as...
Mark as Played
January 30, 2024 • 62 mins
Summary
Curators Alexis (LinkedIn) and Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) use James Bond artifacts in SPY’s collection to discuss all things 007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
Bond vs. Real Life Spies
The birth of James Bond
Ian Fleming’s intelligence past
Bond and MI6
Reflections
What makes a character timeless?
Pop culture mirroring real life
...
Mark as Played
January 23, 2024 • 68 mins
Summary
John Blaxland (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in Australia and Oceania. John is a widely recognized as a leading expert in this area.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
-Australia’s Intelligence Community
-SIGINT in Australia during WWII
-Australia’s relationship with South Asia
-The Pine Gap facility
Reflections
-The implications of geography
-The power of collaboration
And muc...
Mark as Played
January 16, 2024 • 76 mins
Summary
James Crossland (Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the origins of modern terrorism. James is an expert on terrorism, intelligence, and propaganda.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
-The origins of modern terrorism
-19th century spymasters
-Covert action and assassinations
-Intelligence as a weapon
Reflections
-Philosophy and ideology’s effect on history
-The power of fear
And much, much more …
Quotes of...
Mark as Played
January 9, 2024 • 66 mins
Summary
Eric Escobar (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss compromising networks and information security. He has a coveted DEFCON Black Badge.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
-What keeps Eric up at night
-Thinking like an ethical hacker (aka a “penetration tester)
-Protecting your information (i.e., “Hardening the attack surface”)
-Plain English explanations of key cyber concepts like “Kill Chai...
Mark as Played
January 2, 2024 • 80 mins
Summary
Alan Kohler joins Andrew to discuss the FBI’s counterintelligence division. He is a recipient of the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Counterintelligence Investigation.
***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE***
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
-Counterintelligence vs. Counterespionage
-How the FBI recruit’s foreign agents
-Ideological motivations behind spying
-Effect of technology on counterintelligence
Reflections
-Stayin...
Mark as Played
December 26, 2023 • 75 mins
Summary
Shane Harris (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the role of intelligence in the Ukraine conflict one year after it began. Shane reports on intelligence for the Washington Post and is the author of two books.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
-Where we are with the war in Ukraine
-The role intelligence agencies are playing in the conflict
-The leadership of Zelensky and Putin
-What it’s like to...
Mark as Played
December 19, 2023 • 66 mins
Summary
Bonny Lin (Biography) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the current state of China and intelligence. Bonny is the Director of the ChinaPower Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
-China’s economic power and status
-The current landscape of Chinese intelligence
-China’s relationship with Taiwan
-The ChinaPower Project
Reflections
-Power and prominence
-T...
Mark as Played
December 12, 2023 • 68 mins
Summary
Barry Zulauf (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his extensive experience working across the American intelligence community. Barry is the President of the International Association for Intelligence Education.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
What is the “Intelligence Community?”
The organizational structure of American intelligence
The establishment of the ODNI
The intelligence components of...
Mark as Played
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