Here's something of interest for our spooks,in our war aaginst terror.
(excerpt)
“We have evolved as a technology mercenary team, specializing in information security operations, cyber-security and critical infrastructure intelligence and we can offer our expertise to government and defense industrial base partners.”
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/44536/
Technology Spy Firm Turning Intelligence Outside In
NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Washington, DC, United States, 01/01/2009 - OSINT Group - Open source intelligence operators applying ICDs to assist government, industry with cyber-security operations and “all source” initiatives.
The OSINT Group, a boutique Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) firm specializing in information security and “black hat” technology operations in the corporate sector launch a private sector platform to assist the US Government, the Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense with the nation’s information security operations by offering the best private sector minds in cyber security and network-centric operations.
“We are entering the government sector under the umbrella of Intelligence Community Directives issued in 2007 and 2008,” Michael Bagley, CEO of The OSINT Group and Maryland Chapter President of the Military Intelligence Corps Association (MICA) said. “Specifically, ICD 200, 301 and 623 call for and encourage the Intelligence Community to tap outside expertise and build and expand relationships with Highly Qualified Experts (HQEs) in the private sector. We will share our information security expertise and our predictive analytic capabilities to help government sector clients with their network operations and intelligence requirements.”
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) established Intelligence Community Directives (ICDs) as the principal means by which the DNI provides guidance, policy, and direction to the Intelligence Community.
The OSINT Group consists of specialized private sector technology leaders from business, government and academia, many of whom have been speakers at the annual Black Hat Conventions held in Las Vegas, Washington DC and Europe. Members of The OSINT Group have also appeared as panelists at DEFCON and “Hack in the Box” conferences.
“The Black Hat conventions are a series of highly technical information security conferences that bring together the best thought leadership from all facets of the ‘infosec’ world – from the corporate and government sectors to underground technology professionals and researchers,” Karim Hijazi, CTO of The OSINT Group said. “We have evolved as a technology mercenary team, specializing in information security operations, cyber-security and critical infrastructure intelligence and we can offer our expertise to government and defense industrial base partners.”
[blackhat.com/html/bh-about/about.html]
The information networks of the U.S. government and the commercial sector such as the nation's power companies and financial institutions are under persistent and increasing cyber attack from foreign adversaries, including major criminal organizations and countries like China, according to recent high-level reports by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
[uscc.gov/annual_report/2008/chapter2_section_3.pdf]
The Bush administration launched the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative in 2008 to monitor Internet traffic and protect federal agencies against cyber attacks. The initiative is expected to cost billions of dollars over many years, and most of its details are classified.
The Defense Science Board in November recommended the Obama administration dramatically expand the scope of the cyber-security initiative to include protection of the commercial information infrastructure used by key sectors such as finance, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture "upon which the entire country depends."
“Full spectrum network operations and cyber-security initiatives require a public-private sector partnership and information sharing,” Bagley said. “Our team consists of some of the best technology minds in the private sector and we want to share our expertise with the leaders in the public sector – the government, the defense contractors and the intelligence community.”
About The OSINT Group, LLC
Using open source intelligence tactics and specialized analytic software, The OSINT Group (Osintgroup.com) offers its unique private sector technology expertise as an outside support team for information security operations (including cyber and CI) and for “All Source” intelligence requirements to government, defense contractors and Intelligence Community clients. Additional focus includes global energy security and terrorism monitoring, forensics and financial intelligence, climate change data collection and war gaming exercises.