Blog – AWARE

© 2019 All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to help make our website better. If you continue to use our site we'll assume this is OK

About Cookies OK

Blog

Why #AI is an inflection point that will change how we search, do business and much more. My latest article including what to look for when selecting an AI tool, and how to get the best out of AI with targeted prompts. ... See MoreSee Less

FEATURE - AI: Navigating New Frontiers

www.infotoday.com

As librarians and information professionals, we need know-how on AI tool developments and expertise in using gen AI to stay ahead in all we do and offer clients. We need to recognize limitations and biases in AI-generated information. This wont be easy ...

2 months ago ·

View on Facebook

I like the BBC and trust it more than many other MSM (mainstream media) outlets. The trouble is that if the BBC is as biased as the recent Asserson report (asserson.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/asserson-summary.pdf) suggests then almost no media can be trusted. For example, it means that crime reporting (whether war crimes, political crimes or even plain old criminal crimes) may not actually be crimes: The Jan 6 insurrection was legitimate protest, as Trump claimed and not criminal. It's just anti-Trump bias that says it is. In the UK, nurse Lucy Letby is innocent of murdering babies and is the victim of media bias against her. And many more examples. The Asserson report focuses on pro-Hamas/anti-Israel bias and means that many of the accusations against Israel are the result of bias and so should be discounted if seeking truth. It's essential that respectable media organisations avoid bias as the consequences for us all are too horrific to imagine long term if they remain this biased. For example, how do you tell: whether or not 911 was a false flag attack as some now try to claim, if you can't trust the media about this. Or the Nazi Holocaust never happened (and 6m Jews weren't murdered) as many antisemites try to subvert history by claiming. Or that Russia is actually the victim in the war with Ukraine as historically Russia has full rights to the Donbas region / Crimea and the Ukraine was always part of Russia (as pro-Russia apologists say). Or that Israel is a European settler-colonial apartheid entity with no legitimacy and that the 7 October 2023 attacks were legitimate resistance - and that no women were raped and nobody was butchered.... If you can't trust the media then these lies could all be true. In fact none are and it's not hard to show but not if news sources are biased meaning the truth gets hidden. (For example, the majority of Israel's population have no links to Europe - they are as indigenous to the Middle East as Palestinians. Although European Jews were Israel's founders in 1948, they were soon outnumbered by Jews from the whole Middle East - more Jewish refugees moved to Israel, expelled from Arab nations than Palestinian refugees left Israel. Israel also gives full rights to all its citizens so cannot be viewed as apartheid when there are Arab members of Parliament, Judges and more). www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/09/08/hamas-gaza-bbc-israel-terrorism-downplay-robin-hood-heroes/ ... See MoreSee Less

BBC repeatedly downplayed Hamas terrorism, report finds

www.telegraph.co.uk

Israel instead portrayed by broadcaster as militaristic and aggressive nation, British lawyer-led research claims

3 months ago ·

View on Facebook

When doing analysis it's really important to look at a range of perspectives. Looking at just one perspective - ignoring others leads to biassed decisions. This is especially true for political analysis - and this is where bias seems to be endemic and becoming worse. As an example, there were recently right-wing riots within the UK following false rumours after some children were killed in a dance class. Elon Musk stated that this was a sign of imminent civil war within the UK - showing a complete lack of knowledge of what was happening. www.nbcnews.com/news/world/elon-musk-uk-civil-war-far-right-riots-keir-starmer-southport-rcna165316The same occurs when people condemn Donald Trump for his views or Kamala Harris for her views based on mostly hearsay without any real fact check to see the truth. (The same applies to any politician - love or hate them). This is particularly relevant for divisive areas where the zeitgeist is often that there is only one side. As an example, views on Israel are often seen through one side - as if all Israelis support Netanyahu OR from some who are pro-Israel, if you don't support Netanyahu then you are anti-Zionist. In fact neither of these are true. You can be a passionate supporter of Israel and Zionism and hate Netanyahu and the current Israeli government and even believe they are prolonging the current conflict for their own political purposes / to stay in power. You can also believe there should be a Palestinian State alongside or even in confederation with Israel and pray that the Palestinians will also want peace alongside and with Israel. This doesn't stop you being a Zionist. When looking at any situation - political, business, national - things are never black and white. Analysis means looking at all sides and not being one-sided. Things are usually a mix so to to find truth research the mix and only then make a decision on next steps. Failing to do this results in bias, errors and in some cases more conflict and hate. Sadly we are seeing this bias and lack of analysis all the time on university campuses, business and even family relationships in respect to the Gaza conflict, the US elections and much more. ... See MoreSee Less

Musk says U.K. civil war 'inevitable.' The British beg to differ.

www.nbcnews.com

“No one who has even a passing familiarity with the country would embarrass themselves by making such an absurd prediction,” one academic told NBC News.

4 months ago ·

View on Facebook

On 31st July I posted about the importance of reading news and understanding the context and why a news item was published as part of competitive intelligence. I mentioned the importance of looking out for bias. Of course printed news is not the only form of news (and my comments apply especially to social media too).What about news interviews? Do the same principles apply? The answer is yes but even more so. Does the interviewer pick up clear lies put out to misinform or disinform? Are the right questions asked? Are contradictions picked up - especially exaggerations or changes in what has been said? AND if the newscast then includes a counter-view is the opposite spokesperson treated in the same way or are they grilled differently.There was a masterclass in picking these differences up in this morning's UK BBC Radio interview with a Palestinian "medic" and an official spokesperson for Israel. (Palestinian side at about 1hr 16mins and the Israeli side at 2hr 12mins lnkd.in/er6bvSYu)I'm normally willing to defend the BBC as they have a hard time ensuring balance, so they have to include both sides. hashtag#BBCVerify also does a reasonable job in preventing disinformation. Not today on Today!There is not enough space to show why the Palestinian spokesperson was lying and what is shameful is that when the Israeli spokesperson tried to point out lies, he was prevented by his interviewer, so in this case there was no balance. The average listener is not skilled at picking up the nuances. So I'll highlight a few. The Palestinian interviewer correctly named the UK prime minister and foreign secretary. Ask yourself - who is the current UK foreign secretary. (Especially if you are a non-British citizen). Would you know the key politicians who were only elected to office 5 weeks ago of any country other than your own? (Who is the foreign minister of France - the last two weeks has had non-stop coverage of France because of the Olympics? If you are not an American, who is the current US Secretary of State?). Name 2 or 3 current Canadian top politicians.... or Chinese.... Or Russian (other than Putin). Yet this on-the-ground medic could namecheck UK politicians. So clearly he was not a random medic but a professional spokesperson but this was not how he tried to portray himself. He claims to have been at the hospital when casualties came in. He says most victims were elderly but later says many were children. None were fighters (and in Hamas statistics there are never fighters only women and children casualties). Further, he wasn't asked why photographs of the damage by Israel's bombs was minimal and highly targeted - 95% of the building was not damaged. (Any subsequent damage was from armaments kept in the building as Israel claims). In contrast, the Israeli spokesperson was constantly interrupted!More on the statistics. The director of the local Al-Ahli Arab Hospital said that at least 80 Palestinians were killed. According to Gaza Health Ministry, 47 were injured which is odd as usually more are injured than killed. 47 injured could match Israel's claims to have killed 20 Hamas operatives who were using the school - and no more. The Palestinian Civil Defence said that 11 children and six women were among the victims, and elderly civilians were also reported to be among the victims of the disaster. Depending on your source (these figures came from CNN, Reuters, Al Jazeera and the Washington Post) you get different figures - indicating that there is an attempt at disinformation that's not been properly crafted. Further to come up with exact figures so quickly also rings untrue. It's important to note that the medic interviewed, Dr. Khamis Elessi, is regularly interviewed on the situation in Gaza. Another Gaza medic, Dr. Ahmed Al Jamal and his journalist son, Abdallah Al Jamal, were both responsible for keeping Israeli Noa Argamani hostage, and as a slave. Dr Elessi and Dr Al Jamal may have medical qualifications. ... See MoreSee Less

4 months ago ·

View on Facebook

I was honoured to have featured in Ashutosh Garg's podcast The Brand Called You (tbcy.in) talking about AI. Watch the episode at ... See MoreSee Less

Leveraging OSINT and AI for Business Intelligence | Arthur Weiss | TBCY

www.youtube.com

S6 E058 Arthur Weiss, Founder and CEO, AWARE, consulting on OSINT and AI for business00:34- About Arthur Weiss01:05- Tell me a little bit about your journey ...

5 months ago ·

View on Facebook

When reading the news, it's important to look at the overall context. News never stands alone - there's always a context. Why was that particular item published - and another item not published? What does the news item NOT say about the topic and what does that mean. These are all skills developed by anybody involved in Open Source Intelligence and Competitive / Marketing Intelligence in general? Often the gaps tell you more than what is actually written. As an example - the news today that the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Teheran. There are multiple questions that arise. 1) How was the Israeli assassin able to get so close to Haniyeh? How did they find out that he was in Iran when he lives in Qatar? These question indicate how strong Israeli intelligence actually is. It also sends a message to Iran that if Israel had wanted to, it could take out other leaders in Teheran - including Ayatolah Khameini and the new President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian. Clearly Israel doesn't do this - as the Iranian leadership views Israel as its existential enemy but Israel does not view Iran as its enemy. Further Haniyeh was not killed in Qatar as Qatar is an ally of the West and so Israel won't upset that applecart. 2) Who is Haniyeh? Haniyeh is the political leader i.e. responsible for diplomacy and relations with the friends of Hamas. He's also richer than Donald Trump, with $4bn in his account, and the top three Hamas leaders are worth over $11bn - stolen from the people of Gaza who are suffering. He's also implicated in terrorism including the 7 October massacre in Israel. nypost.com/2023/11/07/news/hamas-leaders-worth-11bn-live-luxury-lives-in-qatar/3) Who is condemning Israel's killing of Haniyeh? This is perhaps the most interesting question. The fact that so many anti-Israel supporters praise Hamas means they actually don't care about the people of Gaza who live in poverty while the leadership stays safe and comfortable. Russia, Turkey and China have condemned Haniyeh's killing and it's notable that all three are also guilty of massive human rights abuses - Russia with the Ukraine invasion, China with the suppression of the Muslim Uighers, and Turkey who invaded and occupies Northern Cyprus sending settlers from Turkey to displace the original Greek inhabitants as well as suppressing the Kurds in Turkey itself.When reading any news story - always look behind the story for what's not written and ask why. The answers may suggest a different story to what is published - and also indicate the bias involved in news publishing that you need to identify to succeed in CI/MI. ... See MoreSee Less

Hamas leaders worth staggering $11B revel in luxury — while Gaza’s people suffer

nypost.com

Three of the terror group’s most senior figures are able fly private and relax in safety in the tiny emirate — a key US ally — while enjoying an $11bn fortune between them.

5 months ago ·

View on Facebook

Words matter. They provide a window into what people are really thinking and planning. Sometimes omitting a word can give a clue into what people really want and so when analysing information it's important to consider not just what is said, but what is omitted. There's a brilliant poster I saw on Twitter that gives an example of this - highlighting the missing word. I think it says it all about the real agenda of those protesting against Israel. ... See MoreSee Less

10 months ago ·

View on Facebook

Register / more information at www.institute-for-competitive-intelligence.com/programs/open-workshops/ici-4-workshop-advanced-we... ... See MoreSee Less

11 months ago ·

View on Facebook

A key part of staying ahead in business is understanding your competition. Failing to do so can lead to a blindspot that could give your competitors a strategic advantage. Many organizations believe they understand their competition and their motivations, but this can lead to a groupthink mentality that fails to interpret new information correctly. A recent article by Michael Milshtein highlights this blindspot in Israel's approach to the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza. The article is a fascinating account of how Israel failed to understand Hamas, but it also serves as a lesson for anybody trying to understand their competitors. ... See MoreSee Less

Why is It So Difficult for Israel to Decipher Hamas?

jstribune.com

Essays – As they were marching towards Jerusalem, the knights of the First Crusade lay siege to the city of Antioch in southern Anatolia from October 1097 to June

12 months ago ·

View on Facebook

The power of #AI. You can take a recording and alter it to change the words (or some of the words) so that the person speaking is saying something else to what was said. This can be used to show how somebody is wrong in what they said - and highlight how wrong. It can also, clearly, be used for bad purposes. Whether the example from @SiaKordestani on X is the former (good) or bad I'll leave up to those reading this post. Either way - it's frightening. (For complete disclosure - I think it's a brilliant use of AI to highlight an extreme wrong - but I also recognise how dangerous such technology can be). fightbackfilm.org/videos/702ddb17d28cdabc2922740ca24a9a55.mp4(Found on Twitter - lnkd.in/eiTXjnNV - FightBackFilm.org) ... See MoreSee Less

fightbackfilm.org

fightbackfilm.org

1 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The 7 habits of highly successful intelligence analysts blog.digimind.com/en/competitive-intelligence/the-7-habits-of-highly-successful-intelligence-anal...1) Be Organized and Disciplined2) Communicate with Confidence, Clarity and Credibility3) Find Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise4) Adopt a Patient, Methodical Approach5) See the Bigger Picture6) Be Flexible and Responsive to Change7) Learn from MistakesEven though this is 10+ years old, somethings don't change - so it's worth a reminder. (But some things do change: @Digimind was purchased by Onclusive in July 2022). ... See MoreSee Less

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Intelligence Analysts

blog.digimind.com

What makes a good intelligence analyst? Are there certain skills, qualities and attributes that can make you better primed for success in your chosen field?

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Cofounders of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, including CEO Sam Altman, said in a blogpost on Monday that it was conceivable #AI could exceed the "expert skill level" of humans in most areas, and "carry out as much productive activity as one of today's largest corporations."I wasn't convinced that ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) is that imminent but if OpenAi things it is, then it's something we should take seriously. The blogpost at openai.com/blog/governance-of-superintelligence says we need to start thinking about both the risks and benefits now, and prepare for them internationally - in a similar way to the processes to regular the nuclear industry with IAEA, etc. #artificialintelligence #OpenAI #ASI #AGI ... See MoreSee Less

Governance of superintelligence

openai.com

Now is a good time to start thinking about the governance of superintelligence—future AI systems dramatically more capable than even AGI.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The tricks you need to do to prevent your voice from being cloned with #artificialintelligence We've had GAN (Generated Adversarial Network) images for a while now. With skill they can be quickly identified as fake. However the lastest fake is concerning - where your voice is cloned and then used to convince you to pay out money. (The con involves a criminal calling you - with the voice of a loved one or friend, asking for help and giving some idenfifying details). Here's ways to protect yourself. #AI ... See MoreSee Less

The tricks you need to do to prevent your voice from being cloned with Artificial Intelligence

thestoriest.com

In recent times, voice imitation with artificial intelligence has been used to commit phone scams. Here are some prevention methods to avoid becoming a victim of these crimes. The use that is made of artificial intelligence (AI) reaches unexpected limits, to the point that in recent times it has beg...

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

#OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told US Congress that government intervention "will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful" #AI systems."…we understand that people are anxious about how it could change the way we live. We are too" #ChatGPT ... See MoreSee Less

ChatGPT's chief testifies before Congress, calls for new agency to regulate artificial intelligence

www.decaturdaily.com

The head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT told Congress on Tuesday that government intervention "will be critical to mitigate the risks of increasingly powerful" AI systems.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

#Google is pushing #Bard - it's new option to beat #ChatGPT. However it has a long way to go to beat the ChatGPT integration with Bing (avaliable via Edge). This gives source / citations which Bard doesn't do so you can't verify what it tells you (and it still seems to "hallucinate" - like ChatGPT) mashable.com/article/google-bard-search-announcement-io-2023 #AI #ArteficialIntellignce ... See MoreSee Less

Google Bard gets a massive upgrade. See the new AI chatbot features.

mashable.com

Bard is growing and expanding.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

ChatGPT has received a lot of press since its November 2022 launch. But while interest in the tool is high almost everywhere, its use is not yet universal.Generative AI State of Play Around the World, Feb 2023Insider IntelligenceIn most regions around the world, high interest in generative AI is being matched by innovations related to the technology, deployment of the tool, and adoption by consumers. But the level of maturity across these three areas is not equal everywhere. The quick advancement of generative AI in Canada, Europe, and Latin America has resulted in successful start-ups in those regions. However, despite high interest in—and rapid adoption of— generative AI in Canada, Europe, and Latin America, it might not be smooth sailing for the technology. Regulation in each of these regions could be a major sticking point that scuppers faster maturation.Although China's generative AI ecosystem is currently lagging behind, it is set to explode. This delayed approach may actually put China in a strong position since it will have already ironed out regulatory issues. Infrastructure readiness will be a challenge, but regulatory readiness will be the biggest barrier to adoption—especially in markets where ChatGPT already has a foothold. In the full report, we take a look at the maturity levels of generative AI around the world, outline some of the region-specific challenges and opportunities, and speculate as to the future shape of the market in these regions. ... See MoreSee Less

ChatGPT and Generative AI Around the World: Maturity, Opportunities, and Hurdles in Key Regions

www.businessinsider.com

ChatGPT has received a lot of press since its November 2022 launch. But while interest in the tool is high, its use is not yet universal.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The World Economic Forum cites AI as the singular key to the rise of what they call the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” In their view, there can be no human progress without the influence of AI algorithms, making human input almost obsolete.This is often promoted by globalist propagandists. For example, take a look at the summarized vision of WEF member Yuval Harari, the author of the best seller, Sapiens, who says that AI has creative ability that will replace human imagination and innovation. Not only that, but Harari has consistently argued in the past that AI will run the world much better than human beings ever could. www.youtube.com/watch?v=94o-9zR2bew www.globalresearch.ca/governance-by-artificial-intelligence-the-ultimate-unaccountable-tyranny/58... ... See MoreSee Less

AI and Useless Class | Yuval Noah Harari | GREAT MINDS

www.youtube.com

The bestselling author and historian Yuval Noah Harari who is considered one of the world's most influential public intellectuals today, talks about the impa...

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

What Happened When This Company Adopts AI - it's not negative! Research on a major software company that adopted AI showed that the average customer support representative became, on average, 14 percent more productive. They were able to resolve more customer issues per hour. The company's workforce is now much faster and more effective. They're also, apparently, happier. Staff turnover has gone down, especially among new hires.Not only that, the company's customers are more satisfied. They give higher ratings to support staff. They also generally seem to be nicer in their conversations and are less likely to ask to speak to an agent's supervisor. ... See MoreSee Less

This company adopted AI. Here's what happened to its human workers

www.npr.org

A group of economists conducted one of the first empirical studies of "generative AI" at a real-world company. They found it had big effects.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The "godfather of AI" is issuing a warning about the technology he helped create.Geoffrey Hinton, a trailblazer in artificial intelligence, has joined the growing list of experts sharing their concerns about the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. The renowned computer scientist recently left his job at Google to speak openly about his worries about the technology and where he sees it going. “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things,” Hinton said in an interview with The New York Times.(AW: BUT what's the alternative when the genie is already out of the bottle. If the good actors avoid AI, it won't stop the bad actors. So the good actors need to stay on top!) ... See MoreSee Less

Artificial intelligence pioneer leaves Google and warns about technology's future

www.msn.com

The "godfather of AI" is issuing a warning about the technology he helped create.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Discover five free AI courses and certifications to help you expand your knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning. ... See MoreSee Less

5 free artificial intelligence courses and certifications

cointelegraph.com

Get started with AI for free! Check out these five courses with certificates from top universities and tech companies.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The anti-ESG industry is taking investors for a ride

www.economist.com

Making a stand comes at a considerable price

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

3 Tips to Know Before Using ChatGPT for Marketing | Entrepreneur

www.entrepreneur.com

ChatGPT represents a new frontier in marketing content creation. But before you dive in too deeply, let these ideas help guide you.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Why economics does not understand business

www.economist.com

Dogma gets in the way

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Musk says Twitter will share ad revenue with creators...who give him money first.

mashable.com

The announcement leaves us with more questions than answers.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

How to Remove Your Personal Info From Google's Search Results

www.wired.com

Maybe you don't want your phone number, email, home address, and other details out there for all the web to see. Here's how to make them vanish.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Why Your Business Needs a ChatGPT Developer This 2023: A Comprehensive Guide

hirechatgptdeveloper03468.blogpostie.com

Why Your Business Needs a ChatGPT Developer This 2023: A Comprehensive Guide April 30, 2023 Category: Blog Hiring a ChatGPT developer is becoming increasingly essential for businesses in 2023 as they search for innovative and effective ways to improve their customer service. ChatGPT is a cutting-edg...

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Examine identifies which nations spend essentially the most time gazing their screens - Brilliant Business Stories

bbs.co.zw

TechSpot is about to have fun its twenty fifth anniversary. TechSpot means tech evaluation and recommendation you can trust. The large image: Researchers estimate that as we speak’s worldwide knowledge creation price sits at greater than 325 million terabytes per day. So how a lot time will we spe...

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The Greatest Woman in Military History

news.usni.org

USNI News asked its readers, “Who was the greatest woman in military history?”

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Classified documents leak raises questions on who is privy to US secrets

beamstart.com

News Summary: As Pentagon jobs go, Teixeira's was pretty junior and his job description says workers like him "keep our communications systems up and running and play an integral role in our continuing success" - Business Standard (India)

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

These are the most challenged & banned books in America right now

www.lgbtqnation.com

Seven of the top 13 most challenged books of 2022 contained LGBTQ+ themes and/or characters...

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

When researching a new topic there’s no magic bullet. It’s mostly about sheer, dogged persistence. 7 tips from a top journalist on how to gather intelligence on a new subject. 1) Take a helicopter view - from 50k feet. Learn the key terms / jargon2) What's being written in scholarly / industry sources3) Write everything down - take notes4) Look for experts and people with authority5) Follow up on *everything*6) Persist - don't give up when the going gets hard7) Keep going until you are no longer finding new information - you've reached the "saturation" point. ... See MoreSee Less

How I Research A New Subject

buff.ly

There’s no magic bullet. It’s mostly about sheer, dogged persistence

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

5,steps to monitoring competitors using social listening.... buff.ly/3I9ticp#SOCMINT1) Identify who / what brands to monitor2) Look at the stats - mentions & reach, demographics, social networks used, etc. 3) Look at the messages / responses to messages- what's being said (& where and by who). Who are the influencers? 4) Compare brands / start in-depth analysis e.g. share of voice, sentiment, top mentions, influencers, channels, timings, etc. 5) Use the data in your own social media / marketing strategiesArticle gives links to tools such as Awario - and is aimed at smaller, less sophisticated businesses. ... See MoreSee Less

The 5 Steps of Competitive Analysis On Social Media

buff.ly

There are various solutions for analyzing your competitors, but these five steps will help you use a social listening tool to the best of your ability.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

What Is Open Source Intelligence: The Importance of #OSINT in Your Organization’s Threat Landscape buff.ly/3jqdtU1An overview of how OSINT can help protect organisations and identify security risks. ... See MoreSee Less

What Is Open Source Intelligence: The Importance of OSINT in Your Organization’s Threat Landscape

buff.ly

Open source intelligence is a crucial part of your security and threat landscape, and understanding where to find it and how to use it helps keep your organization safe.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Yesterday, I shared the CIA's emerging views on #OSINT. Today I saw this speech from General Hockenhull, Commander Strategic Command, discussing the use of open source intelligence on the UK government's website: www.gov.uk/government/speeches/how-open-source-intelligence-has-shaped-the-russia-ukraine-warIt includes this "Open source has also proved to be a force multiplier, and we’ve been able to move to an approach which militaries around the world have sought to do for some time. Through open source every platform and every service person is able to act as a sensor. Citizen involvement has meant that practically every citizen and every phone has become a sensor."Although General Hockenhull's perspective is military, collecting intelligence is also crucial for #CompetitiveIntelligence.If both the CIA and the UK military see the value of OSINT, #CI professionals should learn from this - including changing the way CI is thought about and done.Yes - we need CI teams, but everybody in a corporation can and should support the CI effort by acting as sensors - reporting ads they see on social media (that may depend on their interests and the social media algorithms), news they read - and of course what they hear from others. That also requires training for the whole corporation on the value of CI and up-skilling all staff so they can contribute too. We need to combine HUMINT and OSINT so they are equal partners. Each has a role and downplaying one in favour of the other means we downplay our potential CI capabilities! ... See MoreSee Less

How open-source intelligence has shaped the Russia-Ukraine war

www.gov.uk

General Hockenhull, Commander Strategic Command, discussed the use of open source intelligence at a RUSI Members Webinar.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

"Not a day passes without someone asking me about the future of open source intelligence (#OSINT)... .OSINT truly is our INT of first resort....I can think of no more exciting time to be an expert — whether in government or private industry — working on open source intelligence. It’s a world of nearly limitless opportunity." says Jennifer Ewbank, CIA deputy director for digital innovation. buff.ly/3PvVZlq - also mentioned in multiple news articles, e.g. the WSJ - buff.ly/3WeaOLn. ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The Ultimate Guide to Human Intelligence (#HUMINT) - primarily from a military perspective but tips and approaches also relevant to #competitiveintelligence ... See MoreSee Less

The Ultimate Guide to Human Intelligence (HUMINT)

buff.ly

Human intelligence (HUMINT) is intelligence collected from people. HUMINT involves collecting information through a variety of conversational techniques, in a wide variety of circumstances.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Be careful of Jargon. Not everybody will understand what you are saying. This is especially the case for strategy. As Richard Rumelt wrote in "Good Strategy, Bad Strategy" (www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/1846684811), one of the signs of a bad strategy is a strategy that is written in language that is not comprehensible to those who need to implement it or act on it. There's a lot of business jargon out there. Overusing it will guarantee that your strategies won't be understood by many of those who need to put them in place.Today's Dilbert is a good illustration of the risks of using too much jargon or (in this case) "business speak".dilbert.com/strip/2022-08-21 #strategy #business ... See MoreSee Less

At The End Of The Day

dilbert.com

The Official Dilbert Website featuring Scott Adams Dilbert strips, animation, mashups and more starring Dilbert, Dogbert, Wally, The Pointy Haired Boss, Alice, Asok, Dogberts New Ruling Class and more.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Three years ago, Michael Bazzell was forced into taking his investigation search tools offline. He was threatened with civil litigation as they gave so much support to those looking to make fraud and illegal behaviour visible and he was suspended by his web host. Now, at last, the tools have returned with several updates and are free for everyone. Many new features are coming soon.If you don't have the book this is highly recommended as one of the best guides there is to #OSINTIntelTechniques OSINT Online Search Tool ... See MoreSee Less

IntelTechniques OSINT Online Search Tool

buff.ly

Search Engines Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Communities Email Addresses Usernames Names Telephone Numbers Maps Documents Pastes Images Videos Domains IP Addresses Business/Government Vehicles Virtual Currencies Breaches Live Audio Streams Live Video Streams

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

If I had a Hammer… Building Your CI/MI Toolset. My latest IMCI Magazine article for July / August 2022 - page 51 Why CI / MI collection today differs from yesteryear - and how this should impact CI/MI research. Remember it's not the collection approach that's important. It's the results achieved - and how these are used. The aim of collection is to enable decisions and so it's important that any research has this as the primary focus rather than outdated methodologies that are no longer suitable or relevant. buff.ly/3RknsXR #OSINT #HUMINT #socmint @RomGayoso Of course - this is an opinion piece so I'd love feedback, criticism (and even to be disproved). ... See MoreSee Less

IMCI Magazine July / August 2022

buff.ly

International Market & Competitive Intelligence Magazine is a bi-monthly publication focusing on a variety of intelligence topics.

2 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Why you think you're right -- even if you're wrong! In this great TED talk, Julia Galef talks about why so many people are convinced they are right, even when they are wrong. The reason is that they lack what she calls the "scout mindset". Although she never mentions competitive / marketing intelligence she's talking about the sort of mindset great intelligence people have. They are curious, willing to be challenged, and defined by wanting to understand the world or the business or the industry rather than to continue along existing safe paths, defending them no-matter-what. She uses the example of the 19th century Dreyfus case in France that led to an innocent officer getting court-martialled and sentenced for espionage while the actual spy continued. Although prejudice was a key reason for the miscarriage of justice, it was also challenged by somebody willing to question - and that's key for anybody involved in CI/MI. ... See MoreSee Less

Why you think you're right -- even if you're wrong | Julia Galef

buff.ly

Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs — or a scout...

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Do you seek power, or influence? Many leaders (national and business) focus on their power and believe that's what is important to get followed - but they fail to create new leaders. A few, focus on influencing others - and so create followers, some of who will also become leaders. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explained the difference: “Power works by division, influence by multiplication. Power, in other words, is a zero-sum game: the more you share, the less you have. Influence is a non-zero-sum game: the more you share, the more you have.”(With thanks @Andrew.Shaw for this). ... See MoreSee Less

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

The Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are The Most Important. People who ask "Have you read all those books?" miss the point. Books are knowledge repositories and are opportunities to research and learn more - but only if you still have some to read. buff.ly/3mcTOFw #library #librarian #knowledge ... See MoreSee Less

The Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are The Most Important -

buff.ly

The antidote to overconfidence is our relationship with knowledge. The antilibrary is the solution according to Nassim Taleb.

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Some #Wikipedia articles are regularly accessed and updated. Others are read only occasionally and some hardly at all. But which are the least viewed articles.... #knowledgeThis may seem a trivial question - but working out the least viewed is not easy. It also gives clues to what is really esoteric - and strangely some of the least viewed articles turn out to be insects and more specifically species of moths. In search of the least viewed article on Wikipedia ... See MoreSee Less

In search of the least viewed article on Wikipedia

colinmorris.github.io

Wikipedia sure is popular. The most popular articles in a given week routinely get millions of views. But with 6 million plus articles, Wikipedia has plenty ...

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Elon Musk Thinks Social Media Isn’t Rocket Science. Musk has presented himself as a defender of free speech on Twitter. Is he correct, and what exactly does he mean? The New Yorker considers the answer. #Twitter #ElonMusk ... See MoreSee Less

Elon Musk Thinks Social Media Isn’t Rocket Science

www.newyorker.com

Musk has presented himself as a defender of free speech on Twitter. What exactly does he mean?

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Privacy and online safety go hand in hand. And when you’re using the internet, it’s important to have control over how your sensitive, personally identifiable information can be found.Google Search, already has a set of policies that allow people to request the removal of certain content from Search, with a focus on highly personal content that, if public, can cause direct harm to people. Open access to information is a key goal of Search, but so is empowering people with the tools they need to protect themselves and keep their sensitive, personally identifiable information private. You can now request the removal of personally identifiable information that appears in Google Search such as a phone number, email address, or physical address. The policy also allows for the removal of additional information that may pose a risk for identity theft, such as confidential log-in credentials, when it appears in Search results. ... See MoreSee Less

New options for removing your personally identifiable information from Search

blog.google

On Search, we’re updating our policies to allow people to request the removal of additional types of sensitive, personally identifiable information.

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

In just a few years, TikTok has become one of the world’s most successful social networks. The company claims that its platform is used by over a billion people every month.Bellingcat’s Tech Team has created the Bellingcat TikTok Analysis Tool (built on the basis of a TikTok scraper offered by Github user drawrowfly) that allows researchers to collect a dataset of TikToks associated with specific hashtags over lengthier periods. The tool also allows researchers to analyse what other topics appear together with selected hashtags most frequently.(Note: The tool needs to be installed - full instructions are given for Macs but Bellingcat states that a similar process is used for Windows computers). #OSINT #TikTok ... See MoreSee Less

This New Tool Lets You Analyse TikTok Hashtags - bellingcat

www.bellingcat.com

TikTok has come to play a crucial role for open source researchers. By analysing how hashtags are used, this tool lets you dig even deeper.

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

How Your Target Generation Acts in the Ecommerce World! Different generations act differently when making online purchases - and in many other areas too, as I highlighted in my chapter in Aftershocks and Opportunities 2: Navigating the Next Horizon (Available from Amazon at buff.ly/3MN4oOB)So when marketing to Baby Boomers, consider their approach. It's not the same as Gen X, Y or Z. E.g. Millennials (Gen Y) are more likely to price compare, read reviews and buy generic brands while Gen X are more likely to show brand loyalty. And baby boomers have more cash to spend.... ... See MoreSee Less

How Your Target Generation Acts in the Ecommerce World!

buff.ly

From Baby Boomers to Gen Z - every generation has embraced ecommerce purchasing. And every generation holds untold opportunities!

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

How to Answer an Unanswerable Question 1) Acknowledge your own anxiety. 2) Listen for the need underneath the question.3) Ask questions that help the questionner / others feel supported 4) Don’t interpret questions as critique.5) Don't be overly defensive. Sound confident but admit vulnerability too. 6) If things go wrong, have a way to recover. ... See MoreSee Less

How to Answer an Unanswerable Question

hbr.org

You can still give an honest response.

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

What is #OSINT Open Source Intelligence? ===================================A brief guide on gathering and analyzing publicly available data for #intelligence purposes - explaining what OSINT is, how to gather it, how it's used and potential problems & issues. ... See MoreSee Less

What is OSINT Open Source Intelligence? | CrowdStrike

www.crowdstrike.com

Open source intelligence (OSINT) is the act of gathering and analyzing publicly available data for intelligence purposes. Learn more here!

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook

Military operations in a more transparent world======================================In the past eight years, a revolution has occurred in the world of “#OSINT” – and especially Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), which analyses images gathered by assets from satellites to spies.The resources now available to individual citizens approaches those once reserved for the superpowers.The changes in publicly available (in contrast to government-used) OSINT and IMINT are highlighted by comparing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014 with the Kremlin’s current build‑up against Kyiv.Eight years ago, limited satellite pictures were briefed to the media, and while sourced from commercial firms, so as not to reveal classified capabilities, they were still mainly provided by official sources such the US State Department, Intelligence Community, and NATO. Further, relatively little hand-held imagery was available and useful, although Russian soldiers did reveal themselves in Ukraine with geotagged selfies. Finally, the public OSINT community was underdeveloped, with instead various journalists often bringing shadowy matters to light.Today, 6.6 billion smartphones are in use, meaning about 84 per cent of the world’s population are potential intelligence collectors.This means plethora of satellite imagery providers generate detailed views of Moscow’s deployment of more than 100,000 troops to Ukraine’s borders. In turn, despite Russia banning soldiers from using smartphones on duty, now TikTok, Youtube and more provide data allowing for the identification of individual units as everyday people share events that capture their interest – and military deployments clearly fit the bill.Finally, the OSINT community itself has learned, sharing techniques and resources, with some organisations having sprung up in response to Russia’s actions in 2014. These researchers, together with private military analysts, have developed assessments of Moscow’s forces that compare well with those from classified intelligence ... See MoreSee Less

Military operations in a more transparent world

www.lowyinstitute.org

Russia’s Ukraine build-up is the latest example of how some information can no longer be kept secret.

3 years ago ·

View on Facebook