“Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal & Love” – with Henry Schlesinger
12/06/22 • 62 min
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Summary
Henry Schlesinger (Rare Bird Books) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss two of the most mysterious and alluring forces in human history: sex and spying. He is a journalist and author proudly based out of NYC.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
- The impact of sexpionage on history
- Debunking common “honey trap” myths
- Examples of weaponized seduction and leveraged love
- Cyber honey traps and digital sexpionage
Reflections
- Psychological implications of love and lies
- The relationship between pop culture myths and historical truth
And much, much more ...Episode Notes
Sex. Espionage. Sometimes they both overlap by accident...but sometimes it's entirely intentional. From Samson and Delilah in the Bible to the Profumo Affair that rocked British society in the 1960’s, they are a heady and dramatic combination.
But how is sex used in modern espionage? How do the professionals combine them, if indeed they do? What myths surround the use of both? How have men and women used sex and seduction to spy?
To answer these questions and more, Andrew sat down with Henry Schlesinger to discuss his newest book, Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love, which explores the fascinating relationship between sex and spying.
And...
You know about Benjamin Franklin in Paris as a “bon vivant, wily diplomat and aging lion,” but read Henry’s article about him as the “Founding Forger” engaged in disinformation and fake news during the Revolution!
Quote of the Week
“The thing about espionage is that it encompasses the best in human beings and the worst and everything in between.” – Henry Schlesinger.
Resources SURFACE SKIM*Andrew’s Recommendation*
- “Security Implications of Polygraph Derived Homesexual Fantasies”
- See how much social mores have changed since 1985
*Featured Resource*
- Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Love, Henry R. Schlesinger (Rare Bird, 2022)
*Beginner Resources*
- The Stasi Spies Who Traded Sex for Secrets, Oliver Moody, The Times (2022) [Article]
- Romeo Spies, CIA (2018) [Article]
- The Brilliant MI6 Spy Who Perfected the Art of the ‘Honey Trap’, Hadley Meares, Atlas Obscura (2017) [Article]
- The History of the Honey Trap, Philip Knightly, Foreign Policy (2010) [Article]
DEEPER DIVE*SpyCasts*
- Mata Hari, The Spy with Dr. Julie Wheelwright (2019)
- Sexpionage with H. Keith Melton (2009)
*Books*
- The Last Goodnight: A World War II Story of Espionage, & Betrayal, H. Blum (Harper, 2017)
- In the Garden of Beasts, E. Larson (Crown, 2011)
- Stalin's Romeo Spy, E. Draitser (Northwestern, 2010)
- Femme Fatale: Love, Lies, and Mata Hari, P. Shipman (Harper, 2008)
*Articles*
- MEA staffer ‘honey trapped’: What’s the role of sex in spying?, A. Bhaskar, The Indian Express (2022)
- The making of an iconic image: Christine Keeler, 1963, Victoria and Albert Museum (n.d.)
- Christine Keeler obituary: the woman at the heart of the Profumo affair, P. Sanford, The Guardian (2017)
Summary
Henry Schlesinger (Rare Bird Books) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss two of the most mysterious and alluring forces in human history: sex and spying. He is a journalist and author proudly based out of NYC.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
- The impact of sexpionage on history
- Debunking common “honey trap” myths
- Examples of weaponized seduction and leveraged love
- Cyber honey traps and digital sexpionage
Reflections
- Psychological implications of love and lies
- The relationship between pop culture myths and historical truth
And much, much more ...Episode Notes
Sex. Espionage. Sometimes they both overlap by accident...but sometimes it's entirely intentional. From Samson and Delilah in the Bible to the Profumo Affair that rocked British society in the 1960’s, they are a heady and dramatic combination.
But how is sex used in modern espionage? How do the professionals combine them, if indeed they do? What myths surround the use of both? How have men and women used sex and seduction to spy?
To answer these questions and more, Andrew sat down with Henry Schlesinger to discuss his newest book, Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love, which explores the fascinating relationship between sex and spying.
And...
You know about Benjamin Franklin in Paris as a “bon vivant, wily diplomat and aging lion,” but read Henry’s article about him as the “Founding Forger” engaged in disinformation and fake news during the Revolution!
Quote of the Week
“The thing about espionage is that it encompasses the best in human beings and the worst and everything in between.” – Henry Schlesinger.
Resources SURFACE SKIM*Andrew’s Recommendation*
- “Security Implications of Polygraph Derived Homesexual Fantasies”
- See how much social mores have changed since 1985
*Featured Resource*
- Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Love, Henry R. Schlesinger (Rare Bird, 2022)
*Beginner Resources*
- The Stasi Spies Who Traded Sex for Secrets, Oliver Moody, The Times (2022) [Article]
- Romeo Spies, CIA (2018) [Article]
- The Brilliant MI6 Spy Who Perfected the Art of the ‘Honey Trap’, Hadley Meares, Atlas Obscura (2017) [Article]
- The History of the Honey Trap, Philip Knightly, Foreign Policy (2010) [Article]
DEEPER DIVE*SpyCasts*
- Mata Hari, The Spy with Dr. Julie Wheelwright (2019)
- Sexpionage with H. Keith Melton (2009)
*Books*
- The Last Goodnight: A World War II Story of Espionage, & Betrayal, H. Blum (Harper, 2017)
- In the Garden of Beasts, E. Larson (Crown, 2011)
- Stalin's Romeo Spy, E. Draitser (Northwestern, 2010)
- Femme Fatale: Love, Lies, and Mata Hari, P. Shipman (Harper, 2008)
*Articles*
- MEA staffer ‘honey trapped’: What’s the role of sex in spying?, A. Bhaskar, The Indian Express (2022)
- The making of an iconic image: Christine Keeler, 1963, Victoria and Albert Museum (n.d.)
- Christine Keeler obituary: the woman at the heart of the Profumo affair, P. Sanford, The Guardian (2017)
Previous Episode
“The FBI & Cyber” – with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 2 of 2)
Summary
Bryan Vorndran (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss how the FBI has adapted to the digital age. As Bryan says, “We are not your grandparents FBI.”
What You’ll LearnIntelligence
- The evolution of the FBI and cyber
- Weakening cyber adversaries
- Motivations behind creating and distributing malware
- How to keep your information safe from cyber attacks
Reflections
- Adapting to change within the intelligence field
- The value of a passionate and committed team
And much, much more...Episode Notes
When Bryan Vorndran attended the FBI Academy in 2003, cyber was not on his personal radar, nor was it on Quantico’s vigorous training schedule. Now, almost 20 years later, Bryan serves as the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
What changed in those 20 years to bring Bryan to the forefront of the cyber battlefield, and how have the tactics and strategies used in this used in this field evolved alongside the ever-changing face of cyber?
Tune into this week’s SpyCast episode to find out!
The FBI has historically been associated with law enforcement and criminal justice. How does cyber fit into this world, and what is the FBI’s strategy for defending the country against cyber adversaries?
And...
Check out the FBI Cyber's Most Wanted list. A look through the details on each of these wanted posters can give you a better idea of the vast array of cyber-crimes committed around the world.
Quotes of the Week
“We will not arrest our way out of the ransomware problem. We are not going to arrest our way out of the Russia China Nation state cyber vector problem. Right? It's just not going to happen. But again, national tool power is something we will always do, but there has to be a way to degrade the ecosystem to make their life more challenging.” – Bryan Vordran.
Resources*SpyCasts*
- Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization – with Eric Escobar, Part 1 (2022)
- Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization – with Eric Escobar, Part 2 (2022)
- From the CIA to Strategic Cyber - with Hans Holmer (2022)
- CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer – with Mike Susong (2022)
- Cyberattacks, Espionage & Ransomware – Inside Microsoft’s MSTIC (2021)
- The Cyber Zeitgeist – Cyberwire Host Dave Bittner (2021)
*Beginner Resources*
- What is cybersecurity?, IBM (n.d.) [Article]
- How does Malware Work?, Peter Baltazar, Malware Fox (2021) [Article]
- Director Wray on FBI Cyber Strategy, FBI (2020)
Books
- Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, Fred Kaplan (Simon & Schuster, 2017)
- Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime, Brian Krebs (Sourcebooks, 2015)
- DarkMarket: How Hackers Became the New Mafia, Misha Glenny (Vintage, 2012)
- The FBI: A History, Rhodri Jefferys-Jones (Yale, 2007)
Articles
- FBI: Beware of Cyber-Threat from Russian Hacktivists, Phil Muncaster, Info Security (2022)
- Web shell attacks continue to rise, Microsoft Security (2021)
- Thingbots: The Future of Botnets in the Internet of Things, Paul Sabanal, Security Intelligence (2016)
Video
...Next Episode
“Spying and Start-Ups” – with former Assistant Director of the CIA John Mullen
Summary
John Mullen (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his life and career. He was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.
What You’ll Learn Intelligence
- How John was recruited
- Life as an adrenaline addict in the CIA
- Case officers vs. entrepreneurs
- How China spies on corporate America
Reflections
- Atlantic vs. Pacific outlook
- Quantum
And much, much more...Episode Notes
The Pacific Theater of WWII was imprinted on John Mullen as a young boy. He grew up in Seattle on the West Coast and had family members who remembered Boeing factories under camouflaged nets. He had two family members who were killed in that theater in the 1940s.
John went on to have a stellar CIA career - but one that always had an eye to the East. He went on the become the Assistant Director for Asia and the Pacific, leading all clandestine activity across this huge region, and spent time as a CIA Station Chief in the Far East. He has since co-founded his own firm and is currently engaged in protecting innovation at Strider Technologies as an Executive Vice President.
Ever wondered what it’d be like to join the CIA or to leave it to work in corporate America?
I have a feeling John might be able to help...
And...
Business intelligence, competitive intelligence, product intelligence, workforce intelligence: in case you haven’t noticed – intel is everywhere these days!
Quote of the Week
Honestly, in my 30 years, at CIA, there were probably less than two handfuls of days. I woke up and wasn't excited about going to work. – John Mullen.
ResourcesSURFACE SKIM*Andrew’s Recommendation*
- The Pacific War, WELT (2021) [documentary]
*Beginner Resources*
- What We Know About China’s Spy Agency, Bloomberg (2019) [4 min video]
- Start Ups Backed by the CIA and Pentagon, CB Insights (2016) [short web article]
- Brian Cox Explains Quantum Mechanics in 60 secs, BBC, (2014) [60 sec video]
DEEPER DIVE *SpyCasts*
- CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer with Mike Susong, Part 1 (2022)
- CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer with Mike Susong, Part 2 (2022)
- From the CIA to Strategic Cyber with Hans Holmer (2022)
- My Global Career as a Female FBI Agent with Kathy Stearman (2021)
Books
- China Unbound: A New World Disorder, J. Chiu (House of Anansi Press, 2021)
- Quantum Computing for Everyone, C. Berhardt (MIT, 2020)
- Chinese Espionage Operations and Tactics, N. Eftimiades (Vitruvian Press, 2020)
- Spies for Nimitz: Joint Military Intelligence in the Pacific War, J. Moore (Naval Institute Press, 2004)
- In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality, J. Gribbin (Bantam Books, 1984)
Articles
- Chinese intelligence officer sentenced to 20 years in prison in espionage case, R. Legare, CBS News (2022)
- The World-Changing Race to Develop the Quantum Computer, S. Witt, The New Yorker (2022)
- Paradigm Shift: China’s State Capitalism Is Not Colliding With Its Technological Ambitions, Strider (2021)
Video
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