Monday, December 2, 2013

BUILD YOU PERSONAL OSINT SPY COMMUNITY!

     The following 23 sites are examples of the national security community I've developed using social media. They  are good sources, operated by people who research domestic and foreign national security, terrorism, and defense issues. Yes...I have others unwittingly do my spying for me!
     There are plenty of Intelligence Community (IC)professionals who maintain personal social media sites, and so do hundreds of newspaper journalist who write daily and weekly columns on intelligence matters. I follow them all on Twitter and also look at who their following and who follows them. Believe me, it's easy to build a large, reliable and authentic intelligence-gathering community using social media. 
     As an intelligence professional, spy thriller author, journalist or spy buff, you can build such a community by using Twitter. And, you can expand it with links to Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Slideshare, Foursquare and Blogging. 
     It's kind of like having others gather the national security  information you need, for you. Even additional information can be obtained by engaging your members and finding out what's inside their heads through the use of forums, polls, and petitions...at no cost. Yes, there is a plethora of free embeds on the Internet. I created this blog you're viewing now and post such imbeds on posts all the time. I steer my social media community members to them, especially the polls, to get their opinions on intelligence matters. The free polls I use also provide a "comments" section. 
     When I begin research for an article on a national security topic, I routinely begin by performing OSINT research into over 2,000 Twitter sources. Here's 23 of them. Feel free to use them... I'll bill you later (just kidding). Enjoy! 

Missile Monitor: A neat blog with recent news, 
developments and analyses in the field of proliferation and technology of missiles as well as the latest news on missile defense systems.

The Counter Jihad Report site attempts to stop Islamization and encroachment of Sharia Law through peaceful means, including education and information sharing.

The English Defense League promotes a grassroots effort to take back the streets against the spread of Islamism.

Defiant Lion UK makes a defiant roar against the evils of radical Islam, Marxism, etc. It is an interesting Twitter account with in-depth comments and embellishes the UK's patriotic conservative philosophy. 

The Gen Muniruzzaman and the Bangladesh Institute of Peace & Security (BIPSS) site is another I enjoy reading from time to time. He is a soldier, peacekeeper, security analyst, and head of a think tank covering security studies. He also is editor of “Peace and Security Review”. Located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Our Pick!
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The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTCWP) offers as an important national resource that rigorously studies the terrorist threat and provides policy-relevant research. Straight out of West Point, NY.

Check out the American Security Project (ASP). It's a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to fostering honest, public knowledge and understanding of national security issues. Located in Washington D.C.

Philippe Lagasse: Some useful info here from time to time about Canadian defence affairs. Sometimes typo errors and sardonic responses, but a fun and sometimes informative resource.

The Clarion Project is a non-profit educational organization providing a forum for moderate Islamic voices and a platform for challenging extremism through facts.

Foreign Policy National Security (FPNS) is an excellent resource for terrorism, defense and national security analysis. Check out the their "Best Defense", "The E-Ring", "Killer Apps", and "Situation Report".

Defense One provides news, analysis and ideas for the future of US national security. It's a relatively new site from Atlantic Media. Based in Washington, D.C. 

ACT! for America is America's largest national security advocacy organization bent on fighting radical Islam's attempts to infiltrate and take over the West.  

Creeping Sharia documents on the threat of Islamic sharia law and jihad to freedoms in the US and other western countries.

Top Level Telecom  is, indeed, hi-tech! Here, you gain insights into Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Communications Security, and learn about top level telecommunications equipment. Good info on their Tweets also, which can be in Dutch if you like.

Security Experts provides insightful information about national security. The National Journal's panel of insiders discuss key national security issues, and you gain access to them. Location is Washington, D.C.

The International Society of Cyber Security Professionals (ISCSP) is a resource for Cyber security and related issues.

US ARMY is the official Twitter page of the U.S. Army. You'd be surprised at some of the info I gleaned off this site for anecdotal information to put in my novels! It is a US Army verified site, to the info is factual. Based in Washington, D.C.

Of course, I must include the official Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) site! The CIA is an independent US government agency responsible for providing national security intelligence. This site delves deeply into the CIA's duties and its organizational structure.

PRC blog has very insightful comments by Ryan Aherin. He writes about Chinese foreign policy and security issues. All views are his own, but I agree with what he says most of the time. Based out of London, England.

OSIMINT was formerly with the National-Geospatial Intel Agency. It studies global markets, commodities, risk analysis, arms transfers. The writer is a London School of Economics Grad. It is based out of Washington, D.C.

The Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) is a useful resource...Andrew Schwartz has a related Twitter page that's worth viewing. He is SVP for external relations at the CSIS and is "resident in exile" in New Orleans. CSIS is based out of Washington, DC.


The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) strives to develop strong, pragmatic and principled national security and defense policies. Based out of Washington, DC.

The European Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is an agency of the European Union that analyzes foreign security and defense policy issues. It is based out of Paris, France.


Robert Morton, Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy novel series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean".  The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

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