The Cognitive Crucible - Information Professionals Association

Latest Episodes:

#28 Jeremy Mushtare and Austin Branch on PSYOP, Manpower, and IO Initiatives Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

This is a very special dual release episode of the Cognitive Crucible. Our friends over at the PSYWAR podcast are also releasing this via their channel. During this episode, IPA founding member, Austin Branch, is joined by COL Jeremy Mushtare, who commands the US Army's 8th Psychological Operations Group. Jeremy discusses PSYOP manpower matters and then Austin contrasts roles and responsibilities between PSYOP soldiers and FA30s who tend to be more on the staff integration side of information operations. Then, the discussion turns to cognitive security partnerships, competition below the level of armed conflict, and initiatives. See this link for full show notes and resources.

About the PSYWAR Podcast: Cognitive Crucible listeners can follow this link and check out the PSYWAR podcast. The PSYWAR podcast demystifies psychological operations, informs soldiers about how they can join the PSYOP regiment, discusses the future of Information Warfare, and sprinkles in some cool war stories.

Bios:

Colonel Jeremy Mushtare is the Commanding Officer of the US Army's 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). During his Army career, Jeremy has held numerous command and staff positions. His last assignment was at the Pentagon as Director for Information Operations in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC).

Mr. Austin Branch is an Information Operations pioneer, practitioner and leader. He holds the distinction of being the Army's very first FA30 Information Operations officer when that career field was just forming in the 1980s. While in uniform, he served at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Since retiring from the Army, Mr. Branch served in several senior executive civilian roles within the Department of Defense which focused on information operations, cyber, and counter-terrorism. Austin is also one of the founding members of the Information Professionals Association.

IPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#27 James Farwell on Information Warfare and Strategic Communications Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

During this episode, James Farwell discusses his views on strategic communications and information warfare. He contrasts Russian and Chinese modern warfare strategies and uses many historic and modern vignettes to support his assertions. NIKE, he asserts, has mastered the art of strategic communications with their marketing campaigns which resonate with heroic narratives as old as humanity. Show notes and links to resources here.

James P. Farwell is an author and national security expert in information warfare, corporate strategic communication, social media analytics, political media and strategy, cyber policy, cyber security, strategy and authorities. He is an experienced political consultant, having advised in Presidential elections in the U.S. and abroad, as well as statewide and congressional elections, and in issue management campaigns for referenda and legislation. His most recent book, Information Warfare: Forging Communication Strategies for Twenty-first Century Operational Environments is available from Marine Corps University Press.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#26 Mark Mitchell on Prioritizing Information Operations Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

Prioritizing and funding cognitive and information-related capability is challenging. During this episode, Mark Mitchell recaps recent efforts within the Department of Defense as well as other United States government interagency efforts which have not reached their full potential. Bio: Mark Mitchell is a former senior executive in the Department of Defense who served most recently as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD(SO/LIC)). He is a highly decorated U.S. Army infantry and Special Forces combat veteran who served 28 years on active duty. He participated in multiple campaigns in the First Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2012, Colonel Mitchell served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Senior Military Assistant to ASD(SO/LIC). His final assignment in uniform was on the National Security Council as the Director for Counterterrorism. Following his retirement from active duty, Mitchell worked as a business executive in the private sector. He also served as a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and non-resident fellow at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. He is also a board member and advisor to several non-profit organizations dedicated to serving veterans and their families, including Warriors Ethos, Gold Star Teen Adventures, the Global SOF Foundation, and Special Operations Survivors.

See this link for show notes.

See this link for more information about the Phoenix Challenge 2.0 Conference co-hosted by IPA and ARLIS.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#25 Alan Kelly on the Mapping and Decoding of Influence, Propaganda and Putin Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

What influence plays are being run against us? How do they work? And how are they countered or co-opted? During this episode, Alan Kelly discusses strategic communications and how his Taxonomy of Influence Strategies may be used to see past the messaging and into the motives of competitors. His recently published co-authored piece, "Decoding Crimea," contains a compelling case study that taps his taxonomy to expose the moves and methods of Vladimir Putin's IO playbook. Link to show notes and resources here.

Bio: Alan Kelly is a strategist, author, lecturer, political analyst, and award-winning Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He is Founder and Principal of Playmaker Systems, LLC, a Bethesda MD-based strategy and analytics firm. Kelly's work is driven by a simple idea: That influence – like chemistry, biology and even music – can be decoded and managed through a standard system of unique units. He holds a MA in Communication Research from Stanford and a BA in Public Relations from USC. Follow him on Twitter at the handle @playmakeralan.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#24 John Davis on Modern Warfare, Teamwork, and Commercial Cognitive Security Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

During this episode, John Davis draws on many decades of special operations, information operations and cyber-related experiences and passes along advice to today's military information professionals who are on the front lines of modern warfare. Since the mid-1980s, information operators have worked hard to gain trust within the Department of Defense, and today's cohort must maintain this trust. Furthermore, collaboration amongst allies, government agencies, and even commercial firms is more critical than ever before. Click here for full show notes & resources

Bio: Retired U.S. Army Major General John Davis is the Vice President, Public Sector for Palo Alto Networks, where he is responsible for expanding cybersecurity initiatives and global policy for the international public sector and assisting governments around the world to prevent successful cyber breaches. Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, John served as the Senior Military Advisor for Cyber to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and also served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. Prior to this assignment, he served in multiple leadership positions in special operations, cyber, and information operations. John earned a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Master of Military Art and Science from U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and Bachelor of Science from U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#23 Holiday Bonus Episode Dec 31, 2020

Show notes

On behalf of IPA, thank you for being part of the community and listening to The Cognitive Crucible podcast. This episode recaps the book and other online material recommendations from the Cognitive Crucible guests so far.

See the show notes page for links to these resources:

Click here for full show notes & resources

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#22 James Mulvenon on Our Peer Adversaries Dec 29, 2020

Show notes

During this episode, Dr. James Mulvenon of SOSI compares and contrasts Russian and Chinese information operations. After describing his robust team of linguists, James discusses collections efforts, sovereignty and the Chinese diaspora, and sharing of tactics, techniques, and procedures between Russia and China. Click here for full show notes & resources

Bio: Dr. James Mulvenon is Director of Intelligence Integration for SOSi's Defense and Intelligence Group, where he has recruited and trained a team of more than forty-five Chinese, Russian, Korean, and Farsi linguist-analysts and ten cleared software developers performing collection, analysis, and operations support for US Government and corporate customers. A Chinese linguist by training, he is a leading international expert on Chinese cyber, technology transfer, espionage, and military issues. Dr. Mulvenon received his B.A. in China Studies from the University of Michigan, studied Communist Party History at Fudan University in Shanghai, and received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Mulvenon contributed multiple chapters to China's Quest for Foreign Technology: Beyond Espionage, which was published in September 2020. He is regularly invited to address senior government and commercial audiences on Chinese technology espionage and cyber topics, and his comments have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other international media outlets.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#21 Peter Villano on Congressional Authorities Dec 22, 2020

Show notes

During this episode, Pete Villano discusses US Congressional oversight and authorities. During his time as Professional Staff with the House Armed Services Committee from 2010 through 2020, Pete helped politicians and other governmental leaders grapple with new national security threats and the new era of great power competition. The conversation concludes with Pete describing the pace of technological change and making the case that the United States government must innovate faster. Click here for full show notes & resources

Bio: Mr. Peter Villano works for Microsoft and is a director at the Microsoft Innovation and Policy Center in Washington, D.C. where he focuses on national security and emerging technology policy challenges. Prior to joining Microsoft, Pete served for more than a decade as a Professional Staff Member on the House Armed Services Committee, and advised Members of Congress on issues related to cyber operations and policy, information technologies, counterterrorism, special operations, Intelligence programs, and related interagency activities. He was the principal staff author of ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence legislation, including the creation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, and was a recent recipient of the "Fed 100" Award for 2020 from Federal Computer Weekly for contributions in Information Technology and cyberwarfare. He has also served in senior staff positions at the U.S. State Department and is a former Naval Officer with service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen, leading specialized Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) or "Bomb Squad" teams.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#20 Chris Paul on the Firehose of Falsehood Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

During this episode, Dr. Chris Paul discusses his co-authored article, the Firehose of Falsehood. The discussion covers distinctive features of contemporary Russian Propaganda including, how it works, why it works, and psychological underpinnings. Dr. Paul provides numerous examples, discusses blind-spot bias, and talks about ways that we might mitigate disinformation. Click here for full show notes & resources

Bio: Christopher Paul is a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Prior to joining RAND full-time in July 2002, Paul worked as an adjunct at RAND for six years and was on the statistics faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Paul has written over a dozen monographs related to operations in the information environment.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

#19 Ash Holzmann on PSYOP Dec 08, 2020

Show notes

During this episode, MAJ Ash Holzmann discusses psychological operations, the nature of propaganda, the philosophical underpinnings of propaganda, along with numerous historical examples. Click here for full show notes & resources

MAJ Ash Holzmann is a horror writer, satirist, poet, artist, and Psychological Operations Officer in the U.S. Army Special Operations community. The opinions expressed by Ashley are his own and not representative of the Department of Defense or the United States Army.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org.

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.

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