Resources

You Asked For It…So Here It Is! 99 of the BEST Intelligence Resources (Some You’ve Probably Never Heard Of)…

I get asked a lot of the same questions: How do I become an Intelligence Analyst? What Do Intelligence Analysts Do? And, What Resources Do You Use / Read?

So I decided to compile a list.

And here it is… 99 of the Best Intelligence Resources on the Internet – Some you will know, others perhaps you won’t.

My Top 10

1. War on the Rocks – ‘No Bullshit’ Analysis on U.S. Foreign policy and National Security. Contributors provide a good level of detail delivered from a ‘boots on the ground’ making each article very digestible.

2. Forward Observer – Written by guys with experience, Forward Observer provides Open Source Intelligence about Intelligence, Security, and Defence. Check out their Blog, and sign up for their and email updates to receive their Executive Intelligence Summaries.

3. Sources and Methods – Kristan Wheaton has been providing honest instruction and guidance on the topic of Intelligence since he began his blog back in 2007. Since then he’s published over 500 articles on the topic of Intelligence. Respect.

4. CYINT Analysis – Christian writes a blog about cyber threat intelligence geared towards the everyday analyst – I hove how he takes what could be a very foreign concept and makes it easy to digest and understand!

5. Intelligence Subreddit – Your one stop shop for new, trending and interesting news and articles related to intelligence, analysis and espionage and more. RECOMMENDED

6. JIOX Intelligence Tradecraft & Analysis  – BOOM! Now this is what I’m talking about! A Blog all about intelligence tradecraft and Analysis. Need I say any more?

7. Security Debrief – a blog dedicated to homeland security, terrorism and counter-terrorism, intelligence and law enforcement that provides context to the U.S. debates, & policies

8. The CIA World Fact Book – a MUST BOOKMARK and GO TO website for any intelligence analyst researching any aspect of foreign countries.

9. Wired.com – Wired doesn’t need an introduction. But if you’ve never heard of it, they’re kind of a big deal. Check them out for juicy Cyber / Information security related goodness
10. Jerry Ratcliffe – I remember reading Jerry’s books on Intelligence-Led Policing during my undergraduate degree (criminology), before I joined the Army. Jerry’s blog has some great tactical information and resources for policing, criminal intelligence and crime science. Check out his ‘student tips’.

 Intelligence Analysis and Intelligence Tradecraft

11. The Psychology of Intelligence Analysis – What list of resources would be complete without (probably) the most influential guide on the topic of Intelligence Analysis? Here you can view Heuer’s legendary book on the Psychology of Intelligence Analysis FREE of the CIA website.

12. What I Learned in 40 Years of Doing Intelligence Analysis for US Foreign Policymakers – In a similar vein to the previous resource, this article takes important lessons from over four decades working in the field of Intelligence and distils them down in Five Fundamental Truths to understand the Consumer. You’re welcome.

13. Robert Folker Youtube Channel – Robert has uploaded videos to his YouTube channel intended to teach others about Intelligence Analysis. Check out his video on Link Analysis and Intelligence Research & Collection. Also – check out his Udemy course (double plug) https://www.udemy.com/level-1-intelligence-analyst-certification/

14. Association of Former Intelligence Officers – Whilst I’m not a part of this association, I can respect their intent. There’s some good info here about intelligence careers and Intelligence policy.

15. Red Team is all about playing the Devils’ advocate to ensure your plan stands up to pressure. Undoubtedly one of the best resources for analytical tradecraft on the list!

16. Belgilar Intelligence Tradecraft – Solid blog on intelligence tradecraft.

17.  Advat is an ongoing class project to explore analytic techniques used by Modern Intelligence Analysts. If you’re a modern intelligence analyst – you should be reading this blog.

18. Penn State University’s E Education on the topic of intelligence analysis – some good introductory information of you’re learning the basics of intelligence.

Foreign Affairs, Politics

19. ForeignPolicy.com– Despite the annoying Pop-up and weird website, there’s plenty of good information and (some) analysis here about U.S. Foreign Affairs and Policy.

20. International Institute for Strategic Studies – Non-Profit providing information on global security, political risk and military conflict. Their blog has some good information but unfortunately their premium content requires a membership – which I’m not interested in paying for.

21. Intelligence Quarterly – Love this site! Simple, yet effective. Check out Intelligence Quarterly for up to date commentary about World News and Current Affairs.

22. The Interpreter, published online by the Lowy Institute (based in Sydney), publishes daily commentary and analysis on international events.

23. Mike Rogers offers his insights as a former member of Congress, U.S. Army Officer and FBI Special agent. Mike writes on his ‘news’ page about politics, foreign affairs, and intelligence / security.

24. Stratfor – The BIG DADDY of online Global Affairs, Military, Geopolitics and Open Source Intelligence, STRATFOR should be a ‘house-hold name’ with Intelligence Analysts who rely on this resource for Weekly Forecasts, and Expert Analysis.

Open Source Intelligence

25. Cyberspace & Information Operations Study Center brings us a slew of interesting links relevant to Open Source Intelligence, Information Operations, OPSEC and the U.S. Department of Defense.

26. Online Strategies  – A resource page dedicated to Tools and Resources for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Links include information on Site Investigation Tools, Deep Web Investigation and General Intelligence Links

27. Public Intelligence – Public Intelligence is an archive of government documents and public information regarding National Security, Finance, International Relations and much more. It includes a ‘treasure trove’ of documents from different government agencies in practically every country. Check it out!

28. Intelligence Observer – Open Source Intelligence Designed to give poignant information without the need to lose yourself in the detail. I love the way the articles provide the Executive Summary, effectively convey information succinctly, with analysis. Recommend to anyone to enjoys’ Foreign Policy Magazine and clean presentation. Keep up the good work!

Criminal Analysis and Criminal Intelligence

29. Medium.com – A ‘micro-blogging’ site, designed to share articles of interest and discussion of various topics. Yes, it is also used by internet-marketers to draw traffic and promote blogs, but you can get some decent articles. Example: Social media intelligence, the wayward child of open source intelligence. 

30. Inteltechniques.com – the motherload of OSINT lessons, skills and techniques. Michael Buzzell has literally written the book on open source intelligence, and you can also listen to their podcast, or do their online course! Tools are outstanding, and as suggested by John Shaker (comments below) – this resource will teach you something new every day.

31. UK Police College Intelligence Management – A Resource for Police Intelligence and Criminal Analysis.

32. This PDF is called ‘Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps’, but it is an absolute GOLD MINE of information for Intelligence Analysts! Whether or not you’re a Criminal, Military, Security or whatever Analyst – the lessons here are applicable, and I consider this recommended reading!

33. Crime Analysis Blogspot – Scott has over 25 years of law-enforcement experience and has written about crime and intelligence analysis on his blog for the past 7 years. A must for any criminal intelligence analyst.

34. Annual Peer Reviewed Journal from the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts focused on intelligence and analytical fields related to military, law enforcement and criminal justice.

Security & Intelligence

35. Eeben Barlow, Author of Composite Warfare and former contributor to The Counter Terrorist magazine, Eeben writes about Security and Intelligence from his perspective having served in the South African Defence Force. Check out his blog for his thoughts about Defence, Security and Military Operations in Africa.

36. The Cipher Brief – Discussing issues of Business and Security (together). The Cipher Brief connects the private sector with security specialists to provide analysis of news and events.

37. Security Affairs – Winner of the 2016 Best European Personal Security Blog…need I say more?

38. Digital Shadows – Resource for advice and opinion on security, and intelligence tradecraft. Check out their article on the intelligence cycle.

39. The blog of Former CIA Analyst Nada Bakos is packed full of great article on the topics of Security and Intelligence. Her website is clean and her writing style is fluid with that trademark ‘analyst’ ability to provide good information succinctly.

40. Overaction – A blog about national security issues with contributions from current and former intelligence professionals! Love that the articles here are sharp and poignant without being overly verbose.

41. Aucoin Analytics – Kervin Aucoin is an Intelligence professional who delivers highly specialized risk assessments and intelligence reports. Check out his services and blog over at Aucoin Analytics.

Intelligence News and Articles

42. intelNews – I check this site at least once a week for the latest news and analysis on espionage, intelligence and security issues. The topics are presented by experts who know what they’re talking about.

43. Matthew Waid provides regular commentary on intelligence topics on his personal blog. He is a published author, intelligence historian and regularly contributes on intelligence matters.

44. Joe Mazzafro is asking all the right questions on his aptly named blog; Mazz-INT. Check out his thoughts on the topic of intelligence. RECOMMENDED.

45. Blowing My Cover – A Blog by Linsay Moran, an ex CIA case officer who writes about intelligence, security and policy.

SIGINT & Radio Intelligence

46. Numbers & Oddities – Whether you’re a short-wave radio hobbyist or a hard-core SIGINTer, Numbers & Oddities provides an online database of Number Stations (link) and Transmissions (link) owned by governments, the military and / or Intelligence agencies for you to enjoy.

47. If Information Security, SIGINT or COMSEC are your bag, then Electrospaces is your resource. I’ll say no more.

48. Cipher Machines & Cryptology. Simple.

49. A blog dedicated to the hobby of DX-ing. From longwave, mediumwave and shortwave all the way up to VHF radio and satellite monitoring.

Imagery Intelligence – IMINT

50. Good Earth Blog – For the IMINT Analysts out there! Good Earth Blog brings us A LOT of satellite imagery (curtesy of google earth) which often includes military establishment, time lapse analysis and even Surface to Air Missile sites (+range rings).

51. The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is the only organization dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and building a stronger community of interest across industry, academia, government, & professional organizations.

Weapons (Technical) Intelligence

52. Ah Janes! Where would we be without you? Whether you’re researching Missiles, Terrorism, Politics or Drones Janes is THE premier provider of Defence, Security, & Intelligence Information. For anyone new to the world of Open Source Intelligence or Online Intelligence bookmark this site NOW.

53. Defence Tech – As the title suggests, it’s all about Defence Technology. Information on ICBMs, Fighter Jets, Military Helicopters and the latest gear – it’s all here with regular updates.

54. Arms Control Wonk. Started by Jeffrey Lewis in 2004, Arms Control Wonk was the first blog on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

55. Missile Threat – Super interesting website discussing different Missile capabilities and threats. Provides up-to-date open source information and analysis about ballistic and cruise missiles around the globe and the systems designed to defend against them

56. Global Guerrillas is John Robb’s Blog on the future of conflict.

Tactical Advice, Special Operations and Other Military Resources

57. ITS Tactical – Equipment, Skills, Tools and Knowledge! Check out Imminent Threat Solutions for good advice from guys who know.

58. War Is Boring – 1.5 million visitors each month can’t be wrong! From Drones to AKs, this military blog has something no matter whether you fight from the Ground, Sea or Air.

59.  Global Defence and Military Forums. Heaps of topics / threads and discussions. If you want to know, just ask.

60. Awesome News and Intelligence from Special Operations Veterans. They’ve also got their own SPEC OPS Channel and Documentaries for members also.

61. Black Five.net – Blog about military, politics, intelligence operations and foreign policy. Check out their daily photo’s, and military motivators also.

Information Security & Cyber Intelligence (incl. Hacking)

62. Schneier on Security, For some people Bruce Schneier will need no introduction. For those who aren’t aware, Bruce has been writing about technology security since 2004, and his posts are read by more than 250,000 people. Do yourself a favour, if you’re interested in Information Security, book mark his site now!

63. Andrew Case’s blog on computer security, digital forensics, incident response, malware analysis, reverse engineering, and other related topics. While I’m not an information security guru (and don’t pretend to be), Andrew’s got some great information for the cyber analysts out there.

64. Hacker OPSEC,  while this website appears to be getting a little dated (last post 2013), a lot of the information is still relevant, which is why it provides a great resource to Cyber Analysts and Hackers alike.

65. Ned Forum.com – This website packs some great information on Cyber Network Exploitation and Defence. Check out their blog for the latest.

66. Tao Security – Richard Bejtlich’s blog on digital security, strategic thought, and military history – Richard’s home blog at Taosecurity is one of the most reliable and up-to-date resources for information on detection monitoring and digital forensics. I also enjoy watching his YouTube clips from various conferences also. Thanks for making this one easy – and all the best in your new role at Splunk.

67. Vera Code – Question: Where do developers and cyber analysts go for info about APPSEC? Answer: Veracode. Check out their white papers.

68. RSA Blog – Initially I just wanted to use their images…but then their content go me hooked. Check out RSA for info about Cybercrime, Hacking, Info Sec and Threat Detection.

69. Fortinet – Ok, so I’ll admit a lot of this is beyond my level of comprehension – but if you’re in the IT Security Space, an IT Analyst or Hacker – then Fortinet shares practical IT security and intelligence info.

70. War Room – Brought to you by the technical consultants at SecureState, War Room is an amazing IT Security and Hacking Resource with info on IT attack & defense, encryption, hardware, malware and much more.

Military Intelligence

71. OP For – Equal Parts Fact, Opinion and Assessment – The OP FOR blog provides honest articles from (former) Commissioned Officers on the topics of intelligence and military affairs.

72. The Lighting Press provides ‘intellectual fuel for the military’, offering great references on Intelligence including on the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace.

73. Loyola – You Want Resources!! Let me tell you, Loyola has more resources than you can poke a stick at; Strategic Intelligence, Military, Economic, you name it.

74. HUMINT!- This site has it all! A complete catalogue of U.S Army Doctrine, seriously detailed information on IEDS and analysis on Che Guevaras’ Counterintelligence Failures.

75. PSYOPS! – Psychological Warfare, Psychological Operations, and Information Operations.

Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism

76. All Things Counter Terrorism – Former Senior Counter Terrorism Intelligence Analyst, Leah Farrall posts information on the Taliban, Jihad, CT Policy and Terrorism in the Middle East.

77. Financial Integrity Network – Featured Content includes information on Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Ransom Payments and

78. Counter-Terrorism Blog – Richard Allan from the Brooklyn Law School is the editor of Center for Security and Counter-Terrorism, sharing neutral (non-partisan discourse) about security issues created by terrorism.

War and Intelligence

79. The Small Wars Journal is an actual journal…about ‘small wars’…So content typically includes commentary on topics such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia and Ukraine, as well as linking to articles on Foreign Policy, Combating Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency.

80. Understanding War – Detailed articles on the study of war. Very detailed.

81. Blogs of War – straight from Johns’ blurb ‘John Little has been covering national security, intelligence, and technology issues at Blogs of War since 2002’. I’ve been a long time reader of this blog and recommend Johns Twitter feed @Blogsofwar for some great open source intelligence

82. Counter Terrorism Matters – Personal experiences of David Wells Former UK and Australian Intelligence Analyst. David shares strategies employed by intelligence agencies on the War of Terror.

Threat Intelligence

83. Looking Glass Cyber – So, what exactly is ‘threat intelligence’? According to Looking Glass Cyber, it’s a kick-arse way to protect yourself (and your business) from all the bad shit that could go down. Click through for more info.

Ethical Intelligence

84. Spy Blog – A trusted and long standing blog that comments on the use of Intelligence and Surveillance.

85. Intelligence Ethics – I know what you’re thinking…ethics and intelligence aren’t really the best of friends. But Chris Vallandingham’s blog shows how they can co-exist to promote better practices in intelligence.

Structured Analytical Techniques

86. Analytic Education. For those interested in learning (and mastering) Structured Analytical Techniques, Al provides fantastic resources and training derived from his depth of experience. He covers some of the Structured Analytical Techniques taught by Heuer/Pherson as well as covering some of the more elemental and generic ones. Well recommended.

Counter Intelligence

87. The XX Committee is the blog of John Schindler who writes on the topics of Counterintelligence, espionage radicalisation and terrorism.

Money Laundering

88. IMOLIN –  If you enjoy ‘following the money’ then look no further than the international money laundering information network for the latest information.

89. I Hate Money Laundering – Susan Grossey’ is an anti-money laundering consultant, providing training and strategic advice and writing policies on the topic on money laundering. This is her blog.

90. Anti Money Laundering Journals – Interesting articles about U.S. Money Laundering. Written is an easy to understand and digestible way, this blog provides frank information to those who want it. RECOMMENDED!

Other Intelligence Resources

91. Wikispooks –A Wiki designed as a semantic web-enabled encyclopedia of Deep political structures and events. Wikispooks is always looking for more competent editors, so get on and check out and help develop this resource!

92. irevolutions – DRONES!! Yes, there had to be at least one resource about Drones and Intelligence…and here it is at irevolutions.

93. American Partisan – is a top-notch blog dedicated to providing actionable ‘how-to’ analysis from among some of the best-experienced professionals. Intel101 readers should be particularly interested in the content published by Kit Perez who’s background in counterintelligence makes her more than qualified to comment on elicitation techniques and identifying your own motivations. Definitely worth a read.

94. DOC EX Blog – Douglas Cox blogs about the information policy, government records and legal status of documents captured in armed conflict. Make this blog your first stop for any articles on the topic of document exploitation and intelligence.

95. Andrew Zammit – Blog of Andrew Zammit a PhD Candidate focused on researching Jihadism in Australia. Andrew provides detailed thoughts on security, terrorism and human rights in Australia.

96. Eric Holdeman’s blog dedicated to information about the world of emergency management and homeland security.

97. The National Academies Press – Interesting Article by Reid Hastie focusing on ‘what do intelligence teams do’?

98. RAND – RAND Corporation is akin to Janes and STRATFOR. Offering ‘objective analysis’ RAND publish articles on the topics of Business, Law, Economic, Government Policy, Security, Military and International Relations for Government, Military and the Private Sector. Over half their staff have doctorate degrees! Impressive. ;0

99. Wikileaks – Yea, ok…So whether you agree with the whole whistleblowing thing or not, that’s up to you…But as an analyst Wikileaks is a gold mine for intelligence related information. So it makes the list.

100. I know this post said 99 resources, and that’s where you come in. I know you have (at least) 1 resource that you’d like to share with the rest of the Intelligence101 community that wasn’t on the list. Just leave your recommendation in the comment section of this post.

Thanks everyone, and have a great week. Cheers!

p.s. Don’t forget to subscribe to my mailing list for regular Intelligence.