I began reading Howard Blum’s book, In the Enemy’s House, wondering what it would add to the already solid foundation of scholarship on the Venona program. The two main figures in the initial exploitation of the Venona intercepts—and the... more
I began reading Howard Blum’s book, In the Enemy’s House, wondering what it would add to the already solid foundation of scholarship on the Venona program. The two main figures in the initial exploitation of the Venona intercepts—and the two central characters in Blum’s book—were Robert (Bob) Lamphere, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent; and Meredith Gardner, a cryptologist at the Army Security Agency (ASA). These two individuals, who were opposites in personality but similar in drive, formed the unlikely team that combined their talents and the capabilities of their agencies to identify the real people behind the code names in Soviet intelligence operational cables.
Attribution is complicated under the best of circumstances. Sparse attributory indicators and the possibility of overt manipulation have proven enough for many researchers to shy away from the attribution space. And yet, we haven't even... more
Attribution is complicated under the best of circumstances. Sparse attributory indicators and the possibility of overt manipulation have proven enough for many researchers to shy away from the attribution space. And yet, we haven't even discussed the worst-case scenarios. What happens to our research methods when threat actors start hacking each other? What happens when one threat actor leverages another's seemingly closed-source toolkit? Or better yet, what if they open-source an entire suite to generate so much noise that they'll never be heard? Leaked documents have described how the standard practice of one espionage outfit infiltrating another has transcended into the realm of cyber in the form of fourth-party collection. While this represents an immediate failure for the victim intelligence service, the tragedy doesn't end there. Attackers can then go on to adopt the victim threat actor's toolkit and infrastructure, leveraging their data and access, and perpetrating attacks in their name. As interesting as this conversation could be in the abstract, we'd rather present examples from unpublished research that showcase how this is already happening in the wild. Similarly, while we'd prefer to present threat intelligence research in its most polished and convincing form, fringe cases do appear. Strange activity overlaps between clusters, APT-on-APT operations, open-sourcing of proprietary tools, or repurposing of proprietary exploit implementations are some of the ways that the attribution and activity clustering structures start to break down and sometimes collapse. And this is not all an unintentional byproduct of our position as external observers; some threat actors are overtly adopting the TTPs of others and taking advantage of public reporting to blend their activities into the profiles researchers expect of other actors. The material includes in-the-wild examples to substantiate previously hypothesized claims about attackers stealing each other's tools, repurposing exploits, and compromising the same infrastructure. These covert dynamics in the space of cyber espionage further substantiate the difficulties underlying accurate security research and the need to track threat actors continually. The examples we'll focus on come from unpublished research and unwritten observations from the original researchers themselves. The hope is to escape threat intel solipsism by providing a better framework to understand and discuss operations and actors and to understand how traditional espionage shadow games are being played out on the digital front.
The codebreakers at Bletchley Park (BP) undoubtedly contributed greatly to the outcome of the Second World War. The technical aspect of breaking the German Enigma, the story of the people working at Bletchley Park and even its... more
The codebreakers at Bletchley Park (BP) undoubtedly contributed greatly to the outcome of the Second World War. The technical aspect of breaking the German Enigma, the story of the people working at Bletchley Park and even its administrative and organizational structure all add to the knowledge of this part of wartime intelligence. The central question, however, concerns its true relevance and impact on the war effort. This essay will argue that – even though it was a most valuable resource – it wasn ́t a panacea for all of war ́s dilemmas. The problems and limitations of Ultra intelligence stem from its genesis as well as from its use by intelligence consumers. This essay will first assess the surrounding expectations by policy makers and go on to establish– in this environment – how Bletchley Park managed to achieve its goals. Then, the essay will look at how Ultra intelligence influenced command decisions and subsequently the outcome of battles. A discussion of the value of Ultra in tactical and strategic decisions will follow, as well as different examples of where Ultra was not able to have a positive influence. All this considered, the essay will conclude in trying to answer the question of how much quicker the war ended, because of Ultra ́s contribution.
La conscription en Israël est obligatoire pour la plupart des citoyens, et les meilleures unités de renseignement identifient souvent les recrues talentueuses pendant qu'elles sont au lycée. Ces soldats suivent une formation intensive... more
La conscription en Israël est obligatoire pour la plupart des citoyens, et les meilleures unités de renseignement identifient souvent les recrues talentueuses pendant qu'elles sont au lycée. Ces soldats suivent une formation intensive dans une gamme de compétences linguistiques et techniques. Après quelques années de service au gouvernement, la plupart sont démobilisés, nombre d'entre eux terminent alors leurs études et entrent sur le marché du travail civil. Gadi Aviran était l'un des pionniers de l'industrie du renseignement privé israélien. "Il y avait chaque année un énorme réservoir de talents sortant de l'armée", a déclaré Aviran, qui a fondé la société de renseignement Terrogence. « Tout ce qu'une entreprise comme la mienne avait à faire était de se tenir à la porte et de dire : « Vous avez l'air intéressant. » Internet a facilité les prétextes.
The crisis and war in the Persian Gulf (1990-1991) was a dynamic presentation of the capabilities arising from new technologies, which enabled the use of high precision weapons systems and ensured faster collection and dissemination of... more
The crisis and war in the Persian Gulf (1990-1991) was a dynamic presentation of the capabilities arising from new technologies, which enabled the use of high precision weapons systems and ensured faster collection and dissemination of information and coordination of forces. Among the new technologies presented there was the use of satellite systems. It was perhaps the first time that the general public became aware of the strategic and tactical contribution of satellite systems in the framework of military operations. At the same time, the war revealed significant weaknesses, mainly in the fields of intelligence and communication. It is characteristic that based on these lessons, many intelligence services attempted structural changes. This study focuses on satellite systems (military-commercial), used by the coalition forces, their positive contribution, and the weaknesses that were identified. This paper is the English version of the original, in Greek language, published on February 19th, 1992. This is one of the first critical assessments of the role space systems played and the shortfalls observed during the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991. References were mostly based on news and opinion articles that made the U.S. Department of Defence's Early Bird daily cut
Kevin Riehle delivers the definitive guide to Russian intelligence and security—an indispensable resource for sorting through and interpreting the huge amounts of publicly available information about Russian clandestine and covert activities today. The core responsibility of the Russian intelligence services is to preserve the Russian regime and protect it from internal and external threats. This book explains the organization of the services, the missions they undertake, and the human and technical platforms they use. This comprehensive volume:
--Uses a case-based approach to show current missions and functions. --Avoids the hyperbole often found in media portrayals of Russian intelligence. --Explains the historical interplay between Russian intelligence and security elements.
Jonathan Haslam intertwines two separate narratives into his book Near and Distant Neighbors: A New History of Soviet Intelligence. One narrative gives a running assessment of Soviet intelligence senior leaders across the history of the... more
Jonathan Haslam intertwines two separate narratives into his book Near and Distant Neighbors: A New History of Soviet Intelligence. One narrative gives a running assessment of Soviet intelligence senior leaders across the history of the Soviet Union. The other portrays the challenges the Soviet Union faced in developing cryptography both for defensive and offensive purposes. The two narratives share few intersection points, and the book oscillates between them in roughly parallel chronologies. While Haslam’s compilation of materials, particularly about the uneven progress of Soviet cryptography, makes this book worth reading for a serious student of Soviet intelligence history, it does not live up to its aspiration of telling the whole story of Soviet intelligence, and a comprehensive study of Soviet intelligence history is still to be written.
Every day, U.S. intelligence agencies gather huge amounts of information from a variety of sources. Collection of information is an essential part of the process described as Intelligence Cycle. The purpose of this article is to identify... more
Every day, U.S. intelligence agencies gather huge amounts of information from a variety of sources. Collection of information is an essential part of the process described as Intelligence Cycle. The purpose of this article is to identify the essence and nature of intelligence sources and to analyze their practical use by the agencies and departments that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community. The author characterizes the main types of intelligence sources
Lo spionaggio industriale, nella moderna era digitale, rappresenta una limitazione allo sviluppo della competitività aziendale e nazionale. Il progetto ha l’obiettivo di analizzare il fenomeno dello spionaggio digitale quale potenziale... more
Lo spionaggio industriale, nella moderna era digitale, rappresenta una limitazione allo sviluppo della competitività aziendale e nazionale. Il progetto ha l’obiettivo di analizzare il fenomeno dello spionaggio digitale quale potenziale danno al know how aziendale e alle innovazioni di prodotto/processo ed individuare un sistema efficiente di best practices endo-imprese per sostenere la crescita aziendale e la competitività nei mercati globali. La ricerca analizzerà e confronterà gli attuali strumenti economico-giuridici nei Paesi maggiormente innovativi (USA, Regno Unito, Germania, Francia e Giappone) per focalizzare punti di forza e debolezza del sistema italiano. I risultati del progetto sono di notevole utilità per sviluppare ed implementare best practices (di management, di ICT e di diritto industriale) di protezione del know how aziendale che sostengano la competitività delle imprese italiane nel moderno mercato globale. Queste best practices sono strumenti innovativi che l’Intelligence Istituzionale dovrebbe prospettare ed incentivare con finanziamenti alla R&S e formazione, sia a livello aziendale che a livello settoriale, prodromici alla moderna politica industriale in era digitale per la tutela della proprietà intellettuale delle imprese ovvero per l’accrescimento della produttività, competitività internazionale.
En la mitolog´ıa griega, Ceo (en griego antiguo Kioos, ‘inteligencia’, ‘inquisitividad’) era el Titán de la inteligencia. Sobre esta base nace la idea del proyecto koiOS, una distribuci´on linux basada en Ubuntu y con un entorno de... more
En la mitolog´ıa griega, Ceo (en griego antiguo Kioos, ‘inteligencia’, ‘inquisitividad’) era el Titán de la inteligencia. Sobre esta base nace la idea del proyecto koiOS, una distribuci´on linux basada en Ubuntu y con un entorno de escritorio MATE pensada y dise˜nada para ser usada en el día a día por analistas de inteligencia, incluyendo a tal efecto recursos y herramientas para trabajar diferentes disciplinas: Inteligencia en fuentes abiertas (OSINT), Inteligencia en redes sociales (SOCMINT), Inteligencia geoespacial (GEOINT) e Inteligencia de señales (SIGINT); todo ello en un entorno de trabajo orientado a garantizar la máxima eficiencia, con un entorno cómodo y estable y un set de herramientas actualizadas a la ´ultima versión para un despliegue rápido y sencillo en nuevos equipos.
Además incluye capacidades adicionales para realizar análisis criptográfico y esteganográfico, así cómo los elementos y características necesarios para garantizar la confidencialidad y seguridad de los datos almacenados en el sistema frente a posibles acccesos no autorizados al mismo o la realización de análisis forense sobre el dispositivo.
Every day, U.S. intelligence agencies gather huge amounts of information from a variety of sources. Collection of information is an essential part of the process described as Intelligence Cycle. The purpose of this article is to identify... more
Every day, U.S. intelligence agencies gather huge amounts of information from a variety of sources. Collection of information is an essential part of the process described as Intelligence Cycle. The purpose of this article is to identify the essence and nature of intelligence sources and to analyze their practical use by the agencies and departments that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community. The author characterizes the main types of intelligence sources – Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) – and indicates which U.S. intelligence agencies are responsible for their use. Moreover, the author presents the problems with the use of intelligence sources that occur in the work of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Research findings indicate that the best results of intelligence work can be achieved with the use of “all-source intelligence” (also ...
Since 9/11, intelligence has evolved within a changing atmosphere of modern tactics and techniques for information collection. This atmosphere, coupled with massive leaps in technological advancement such as social media, mobile... more
Since 9/11, intelligence has evolved within a changing atmosphere of modern tactics and techniques for information collection. This atmosphere, coupled with massive leaps in technological advancement such as social media, mobile communications, processing analytics, large-form solid-state data storage, novel computational hardware, and software equipment, has thrust intelligence communities around the world into a strange new world of multi-dimensional intelligence. While science and technology and human capability both remain valuable facets of the same overlapping intelligence construct, there is an emerging trend of diametrically opposed camps pushing for one method over the other. This article explains how in terms of field application and intelligence information processing and analysis, both HUMINT and TECHINT could be maximized by the elimination of forced rivalry and by the encouragement of mutual cooperation that is currently lacking.
AN IGNORANT GERMAN CORPS COMMANDER WHO DISREGARDED ACCURATE GERMAN INTELLIGENCE REPORTS BASED ON SIGINT April 2021 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21010.58568 Project: CRUSADER Agha H Amin
This paper explores information from recently leaked documents on the classified satellites PAN and Mentor 4 (an ORION). Information from these documents is corroborated by and put in context with amateur observations. The documents... more
This paper explores information from recently leaked documents on the classified satellites PAN and Mentor 4 (an ORION). Information from these documents is corroborated by and put in context with amateur observations. The documents confirm long held suspicions that PAN is an unusual SIGINT surveying various commercial satellites, and that Mentor 4 closely covers Thuraya 2. PAN is part of a program code-named NEMESIS
The international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison is reviewed in theory. Foreign intelligence is defined, the objectives of a regime for international law in liberal democracies is set up, the challenges to effective oversight... more
The international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison is reviewed in theory. Foreign intelligence is defined, the objectives of a regime for international law in liberal democracies is set up, the challenges to effective oversight of foreign intelligence agencies is appreciated and different reasons for, uses and forms of foreign intelligence liaison are mapped out. A core argument is that the inevitable abuse and misuse of foreign intelligence liaison should be regulated through the horizontal accountability mechanism as an international best practice.
International regulation of foreign intelligence liason in practice is focused on through case law. A summary and critique of two landmark judgments that have the potential to set an international best practice precedent that contributes towards the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison is offered. The core argument is that communications interception warrants should be regulated by judicial pre-authorisation.
An analysis of the international regulation of foreign intelligence liaison is developed through a case study. The case study explores the regulation of signals intelligence (SIGINT) in South Africa, sets out national and regional applications of art 17 of the ICCPR with regard to private communications and highlights international best practice. Ultimately, legal reform is recommended through a General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill 2015 (GILAB).
Keywords International regulation; foreign intelligence liaison; horizontal accountability mechanism; international best practice; judicial pre-authorisation; communications interception warrants; SIGINT; GILAB.
Awarded 2016 Annual Paper Prize by the Surveillance Studies Network (SSN). This article aims to provide a novel conceptual understanding of the nature of the global mass surveillance policies and practices revealed by whistleblower... more
Awarded 2016 Annual Paper Prize by the Surveillance Studies Network (SSN).
This article aims to provide a novel conceptual understanding of the nature of the global mass surveillance policies and practices revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden in collaboration with the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers. The critical analysis and conceptual reinterpretation of state and corporate surveillance and its impact on the political agency of civil society is multidisciplinary. An intersection of Surveillance Studies, political philosophy, and global politics/international relations provides an overview of the policies and practices that states and corporations develop and implement in relation to information and communications technologies (ICT). Clarifying how contemporary society is global and digital, it analyzes the way in which political economies inform contemporary policies and practices of surveillance. A critical analysis of the relation of political economy to neoliberal governmentality, biopolitical technologies of power, and contemporary regimes of truth leads to posit that global mass surveillance is a technology of power deployed by a contemporary biopolitics of information and communication. A conceptual reinterpretation of Foucault’s notion of parrhesia and Mann’s notion of sousveillance leads to posit that parrhesiastic sousveillance is a sociopolitical and technologically-enabled modality of resistance that can resemantize contemporary politics of truth and lead towards a newborn digital agency for global(ized) civil society.
Purpose Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) from the clandestine intelligence sector are being increasingly employed in infectious disease outbreaks. The purpose of this article is to explore how such tools... more
Purpose Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) from the clandestine intelligence sector are being increasingly employed in infectious disease outbreaks. The purpose of this article is to explore how such tools might be employed in the detection, reporting, and control of outbreaks designated as a 'threat' by the global community. It is also intended to analyse previous use of such tools during the Ebola and SARS epidemics and to discuss key questions regarding the ethics and legality of initiatives that further blur the military and humanitarian spaces. Methods We undertake qualitative analysis of current discussions on OSINT and SIGINT and their intersection with global health. We also review current literature and describe the debates. We built on quantitative and qualitative research done into current health collection capabilities. Results This article presents an argument for the use of OSINT in the detection of infectious disease outbreaks and how this might occur. Conclusion We conclude that there is a place for OSINT and SIGINT in the detection and reporting of outbreaks. However, such tools are not sufficient on their own and must be corroborated for the intelligence to be relevant and actionable. Finally, we conclude that further discussion on key ethical issues needs to take place before such research can continue. In particular, this involves questions of jurisdiction, data ownership, and ethical considerations.
Intelligence analysts are regarded as some of the most authoritative experts in government and international affairs politically, economically, socially, technologically, environmentally and legally (PESTEL), more importantly, in crime... more
Intelligence analysts are regarded as some of the most authoritative experts in government and international affairs politically, economically, socially, technologically, environmentally and legally (PESTEL), more importantly, in crime and violent extremism. They are responsible for producing intelligence reports and analytical judgements that can affect the micro-environment of the individual to the macro-environment of state security. However, they are no different to any human where cognitive biases promote personal preferences in decision making. Regardless of the type of issue, problem or threat, analysis strives towards objectivity, regardless of what is to be analyzed. Poor analytical judgement derived from biases strangling critical thinking and analytical tradecraft account for catastrophic failures as well as many other documented events. Medical and Social Sciences have found correlations between pre-frontal cortical planning and the cognitive deficits that influence judg...
Electronic Warfare-How Russia Broke the Back of Four State Proxies in Syria VOLUME ONE -INTERCEPTS July 2015 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.12438.45126 Project: SIGINT Agha H Amin
Η κρίση και ο Πόλεμος στον Περσικό κόλπο (1990-1991), υπήρξε μια δυναμική παρουσίαση των δυνατοτήτων που απορρέουν απο τις νέες τεχνολογίες. Αυτών που επιτρέπουν την χρήση οπλικών συστημάτων υψηλής ακρίβειας, όσο και εκείνων που... more
Η κρίση και ο Πόλεμος στον Περσικό κόλπο (1990-1991), υπήρξε μια δυναμική παρουσίαση των δυνατοτήτων που απορρέουν απο τις νέες τεχνολογίες. Αυτών που επιτρέπουν την χρήση οπλικών συστημάτων υψηλής ακρίβειας, όσο και εκείνων που εξασφαλίζουν την ταχύτερη διακίνηση των πληροφοριών και του συντονισμού των δυνάμεων. Ανάμεσα στις νέες τεχνολογίες που τα αποτελέσματα τους προβλήθηκαν ιδιαίτερα έντονα, ήταν η χρήση δορυφορικών συστημάτων. Ήταν ίσως η πρώτη φορά, που το μεγάλο κοινό αντελήφθη στην πράξη την μεγάλη, στρατηγική και τακτική, συμβολή των δορυφορικών συστημάτων στις πολεμικές επιχειρήσεις, αφού η χρήση τους επηρέασε τόσο σημαντικά την πορεία και το αποτέλεσμα του πολέμου. Παράλληλα όμως ο ίδιος πόλεμος αποκάλυψε σημαντικές αδυναμίες, που εντοπίζονται κυρίως στους τομείς των πληροφοριών και επικοινωνιών. Η μελέτη αυτή θα εστιαστεί στα δορυφορικά συστήματα (στρατιωτικά-εμπορικά), που χρησιμοποίησαν οι συμμαχικές δυνάμεις, στην θετική συνεισφορά τους καθώς και στις αδυναμίες που εντοπίστηκαν.
A previously unknown form of compromising emanations has been discovered. LED status indicators on data communication equipment, under certain conditions, are shown to carry a modulated optical signal that is significantly correlated with... more
A previously unknown form of compromising emanations has been discovered. LED status indicators on data communication equipment, under certain conditions, are shown to carry a modulated optical signal that is significantly correlated with information being processed by the device. Physical access is not required; the attacker gains access to all data going through the device, including plaintext in the case of data encryption systems. Experiments show that it is possible to intercept data under realistic conditions at a considerable distance. Many different sorts of devices, including modems and Internet Protocol routers, were found to be vulnerable. A taxonomy of compromising optical emanations is developed, and design changes are described that will successfully block this kind of "Optical Tempest" attack.
During several decades, space-based functions have been integrated in almost all human activities, both civilian and military. Information gathering from space is widely accepted in all situations, military as well as security political.... more
During several decades, space-based functions have been integrated in almost all human activities, both civilian and military. Information gathering from space is widely accepted in all situations, military as well as security political. Within a network centric defence, the importance of obtaining, from space-based systems, information contributing to the common situation awareness is increasing in importance. Satellite communications will constitute a vital method, either as an alternative or as a complement, for maintaining communication in a network centric defence. Satellite navigation constitutes almost a necessity for international operations. In the report, without going into details, some basic principles and notions (elements) are explained. Also treated are satellite orbits, how imaging is done from space, and something about communication and signals intelligence. The report treats satellite movements, imaging, communication, and signals intelligence. In several appendices, short explanations of concepts and terminology concerning satellites and sensors are given. There is also a list of frequently occurring abbreviations as well as tables of divisions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
el articulo expone la necesidad de implementar sistemas tecnológicos de reconocimiento de voz que complementen la monitoria del espectro electromagnético y el Internet.
Η παρουσίαση αναφέρεται στον κύκλο της Δημόσιας Πολιτικής Διαστήματος στην Ελλάδα & Τουρκία. Εξετάζει το πώς ξεκίνησαν οι διαστημικές δραστηριότητες στις δύο χώρες από την δεκαετία του 70. Αναλύει την υφιστάμενη κυβερνητική ατζέντα της... more
Η παρουσίαση αναφέρεται στον κύκλο της Δημόσιας Πολιτικής Διαστήματος στην Ελλάδα & Τουρκία. Εξετάζει το πώς ξεκίνησαν οι διαστημικές δραστηριότητες στις δύο χώρες από την δεκαετία του 70. Αναλύει την υφιστάμενη κυβερνητική ατζέντα της Ελλάδας και της Τουρκίας για το Διάστημα, τη Πολιτική Διαστήματος των δύο χωρών και τους φορείς εκπόνησής της καθώς και την μέχρι σήμερα εφαρμογής της. Κάνει αναφορά στα υφιστάμενα δορυφορικά προγράμματα των δύο χωρών καθώς και στα επόμενα βήματα που έχουν σχεδιαστεί σε κάθε κύρια επιμέρους κατηγορία δορυφόρων, με έμφαση στις εφαρμογές στον χώρο της ασφάλειας και άμυνας. Στη συνέχεια κάνει μια αποτίμηση των μέχρι σήμερα αποτελεσμάτων καθώς και των επιπτώσεών τους στους τομείς ασφάλειας και άμυνας των δύο χωρών. Τέλος, καταγράφονται οι διαφορετικές προσεγγίσεις που ακολούθησαν οι δύο χώρες.
In 2013 the biggest scene was made by an ex CIA and NSA employee, Edward Snowden, which was about the comprehesinve american spying. This document is going to consider the espinoage method of the NSA and its partnerorganisations and their... more
In 2013 the biggest scene was made by an ex CIA and NSA employee, Edward Snowden, which was about the comprehesinve american spying. This document is going to consider the espinoage method of the NSA and its partnerorganisations and their future effects based on all the available information.
'Decisions from Space: Intelligence and Satellite Technology", Alexandros Kolovos (in greek) Το επίκαιρο αυτό βιβλίο ασχολείται με την επιρροή των εκτιμήσεων των Υπηρεσιών Πληροφοριών στη λήψη αποφάσεων εξωτερικής πολιτικής των ΗΠΑ.... more
'Decisions from Space: Intelligence and Satellite Technology", Alexandros Kolovos (in greek)
Το επίκαιρο αυτό βιβλίο ασχολείται με την επιρροή των εκτιμήσεων των Υπηρεσιών Πληροφοριών στη λήψη αποφάσεων εξωτερικής πολιτικής των ΗΠΑ. Εξετάζοντας τη σκοτεινή «επιχείρηση της κατασκοπίας», εστιάζει σε ένα θέμα που δεν έχει ακόμη μελετηθεί διεθνώς: τη συμβολή της πληροφόρησης που προέρχεται από δορυφόρους στη λήψη αποφάσεων.
Μέσα από μια επίπονη και τεκμηριωμένη εργασία, αναλύεται πώς η πληροφόρηση από τις αμερικανικές Υπηρεσίες Πληροφοριών επηρέασε τις αποφάσεις 14 Προέδρων. Παρουσιάζονται απόψεις και των δύο πλευρών: και των ληπτών αποφάσεων και της αμερικανικής κοινότητας πληροφοριών. Βασίζεται σε δηλώσεις και απομνημονεύματα Προέδρων, καθώς και σε αποχαρακτηρισμένα απόρρητα έγγραφα που ανατρέπουν παγιωμένες πεποιθήσεις για την αλήθεια των πραγμάτων. Η ανάλυση συμπληρώνεται από κριτικά στοιχεία τρίτων, που πέραν της ακαδημαϊκής γνώσης, συνδυάζουν και τεχνική εμπειρία στο αντικείμενο.
Περιλαμβάνει άγνωστα γεγονότα για τη χρήση των δορυφόρων που διαδραμάτισαν σημαντικό ρόλο στην ιστορία. Εμβαθύνει στον αδιαφανή ρόλο τους στην εξάλειψη του φόβου και των παρανοήσεων στις σχέσεις ΗΠΑ-Σοβιετικής Ένωσης την περίοδο του Ψυχρού Πολέμου και στην ύφεση που ακολούθησε, αναλύει την επιτυχία των πληροφοριών και τις εσφαλμένες προβλέψεις πολιτικής στους δύο πολέμους στο Ιράκ και εξηγεί γιατί οι ΗΠΑ έχουν επιλέξει τη διπλωματική λύση στη Βόρεια Κορέα.
Η «διαστημική» διάσταση της κατασκοπίας για μία περίοδο τουλάχιστον 50 ετών προκύπτει ότι είναι καταλυτική. Τόσο οι Εθνικές Εκτιμήσεις Πληροφοριών των ΗΠΑ, όσο και το Ημερήσιο Δελτίο Πληροφοριών των Προέδρων βασίζονται κυρίως στα προϊόντα των δορυφόρων. Για την Ελλάδα το βιβλίο αυτό είναι ορόσημο στη μελέτη των πληροφοριών που προέρχονται από το Διάστημα.