Apr 6: Information Warfare with Alex Finley & Nathalie Vogel

Spaces recorded on March 16, 2023

Information warfare with Alex Finley & Nathalie Vogel

Spaces recorded on March 16, 2023

Information warfare with Alex Finley & Nathalie Vogel

Recorded on March 16, 2023

Scott and I were delighted to host Alex Finley and Nathalie Vogel, both experts in information warfare and the wider field of active measures. Livia Ponzio also joined in our discussion on new trends in disinformation.

What a great discussion on active measures in general and on the particulars of information warfare. We also touched on the challenges new technologies bring to fighting information operations: what will happen when AI develops to such a point that we will not be able to tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?

Alex Finley is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in West Africa and Europe. She writes and teaches about terrorism, disinformation / covert influence, and oligarch yachts. Her writing has appeared in Slate, Reductress, Funny or Die, POLITICO, The Center for Public Integrity, and other publications. She is the author of the Victor Caro series, satirical novels about the CIA. Before joining the CIA, Alex was a journalist, covering Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and the Department of Energy. She reported on issues related to national security, intelligence, and homeland security. Alex’s latest publication is Rant!, on Substack. Alex explains:

I’ve spent the last several years screaming from the rooftops about the corrosive effects of foreign influence operations on democratic societies. Now, I’ve decided to put all that information into an online course so that maybe you will start screaming from the rooftops, too. The more we understand how these influence operations tie into national security and corruption, the better we can arm ourselves against it. The world is a pretty absurd place. We all need to let off some steam. Come rant with me.

Nathalie Vogel has dedicated her career to the defense and the promotion of democracy and democratic movements around the world. As a specialist in info-warfare, Nathalie has been monitoring influence operations in Germany since 2007 and advises lawmakers and think tanks. She is a reserve Officer in the German AF.

In 2020 Nathalie joined the Kremlin Watch Program as a Senior Fellow. Her assignment encompasses internal security incl. investigation of cyber incidents, background checks, supervision of training and coordination of security briefings as well as monitoring and countering disinformation.