Technology and Security

In this episode, Dr. Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Elisabeth Braw. This discussion explores the decline in globalisation and an increasingly divided world with the West on one side and China and Russia on another. It highlights the impacts of geopolitical rifts on technology, innovation, business, supply chain vulnerabilities and complexities, subsea cables and infrastructure as well as consumer prices and job market changes. They also discuss the tech sector, the role of technology in warfare, and the implications of foreign investments in critical infrastructure as well as hybrid threats, information operations and resilience and national security responses. This episode provides a nuanced exploration of how the convergence of technology, security, and geopolitics shapes our world. Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a member of the National Preparedness Commission in the UK a columnist and author.

Resources mentioned in the recording:

· Braw, E (2024) Goodbye Globalization The Return of a Divided World , Yale University Press https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300272277/goodbye-globalization/

· Braw, E (2022) The Defender's Dilemma

· Braw, E (2019) God's Spies

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Thanks to the talents of those involved. Music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan.

Transcript check against delivery

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: [00:00:02] Welcome to Technology and Security. TS is a podcast exploring the intersections of emerging technologies and national security. I'm your host, Doctor Miah Hammond-Errey. My guest today is Elisabeth Braw. Elisabeth is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a columnist for Foreign Policy and Politico Europe. Her work focuses on hybrid and grey zone threats, as well as the intersection of geopolitics and globalisation. She's a member of the National Preparedness Commission in the UK, and has previously held numerous high profile senior research fellow positions in the US and Europe. She recently published Goodbye Globalization The Return of a Divided World and is the author of two earlier books, The Defender's Dilemma and one about East Germany's secret police called God's Spies. So happy to have you here, Elisabeth.

Elisabeth Braw: [00:00:57] It's a pleasure to join you.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: [00:00:58] I'm coming to you today from the lands of the Gadigal people. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging here and wherever you're listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea, and community and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: [00:01:17] So you're joining me today after an extensive book tour for Goodbye, Globalization The Return of a Divided World. What are the key questions you're being asked at those events?

Elisabeth Braw: [00:01:28] I think the the most frequently asked question is what that means. Uh, what is this standoff and growing, um, disharmony between the West? Uh, on one hand and and some sort of loose grouping of China and Russia on the other. And what it means not just for companies, not just for countries, but for for us as ordinary people. What is clear, I think, from a citizen perspective, is that if globalisation stops working as well as as it did in in the early 2000, which was really the, the peak of, of globalized harmony, if that's no longer there, which is already the case, then eventually it will lead to higher consumer prices. So we as ordinary citizens have benefited from this extraordinary commercial integration of nations of all types and varieties. And now the two of the most important participants in that globalized economy, Russia and China, are each, for their own reasons, not as fully integrated as they used to be. And Russia is, is, is, uh, essentially shut out of the globalized economy and operating in a parallel economy. And, uh, China is for completely different reasons, um, not as hospitable a country as it used to be for Western businesses. And all of this together means that, uh. It will be more expensive to do business to produce the goods that you and I and everybody else use. Every day we will see a return of of jobs, high quality jobs, and and especially manufacturing to our countries at the same time as we'll see high consumer prices. We will see lots of changes ahead. And I think that's why it's so it's a subject that is so interestin...

In this episode of Technology and Security, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey speaks with Sir David Omand. The interview is an exploration of the evolving landscape of intelligence, technology and security from the Cold War to the near real time intelligence in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They discuss adaptation in intelligence from high frequency radio to generative AI and from state threats to myriad threat actors. They explore the interpretative nature of data and the necessity for analytical skill in understanding multiple possible explanations in both intelligence work and political decision-making. They discuss the importance of intelligence in supporting diplomatic efforts and informing policy decisions, the unique trust as well as generational and cultural depth of the Five Eyes alliance and the risks of politicising intelligence.

Moving beyond the debate of comparative importance of specific collection mechanisms they discuss the real value of diversity of thought and experiences in analytical outcomes in intelligence work. They explore the need for security to be considered within the human rights framework, rather than as separate and potentially conflicting priorities. They cover why the resilience of information architectures is critical – and flows of information are akin to the principles of supply chain dependencies. They also discuss intelligence leadership during technological change, stressing motivation, mission and adaptability. Sir David Omand GCB is a RUSI Distinguished Fellow, KCL Visiting Professor; former UK Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator, Cabinet Office

Resources mentioned in the recording:

· Omand, D. (2010) Securing the state. New York, Columbia University Press.

· Omand, D. (2020) How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence, Penguin Books Limited.

· Omand, D. (2024) How to Survive a Crisis, Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster, Penguin Books Limited.

· Miah Hammond-Errey, 2024, Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted, Routledge (20% discount code for book AFL04)

· Miah Hammond-Errey, 9 Feb 2023, Secrecy, sovereignty and sharing: How data and emerging technologies are transforming intelligence, United States Studies Centre

· Miah Hammond-Errey (2023) Big data, emerging technologies and the characteristics of ‘good intelligence’, Journal of Intelligence and National Security

· Cixin Liu (2008) Three Body Problem

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Thanks to the talents of those involved. Music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan.

Transcript check against delivery

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: Sir David Omand has had to date two rather remarkable careers. He had an extensive leadership career in British security, intelligence and defence, holding senior positions, including as director of GCHQ. He served on the UK Joint Intelligence Committee and was the first security and intelligence coordinator in the Cabinet Office. Subsequently, he became a non-executive director, has been awarded honorary doctorates and holds esteemed academic posts as well as publishes prolifically. He is currently a visiting professor in the War Studies Department at the King's College London. His books are Securing the State Principled Spying The Ethics of Secret Intelligence with professor Mark Pythian, and How Spies Think. His forthcoming book is called How to Survive a Crisis. I'm so thrilled to have you join me on the Technology and Security podcast, David.

Sir David Omand: I'm looking forward to this conversation.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: We're coming to you today from the lands of the Gadigal people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging both here and wherever you're listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, seeing community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: [00:01:27] What are the biggest changes you've seen throughout your distinguished career in intelligence?

Sir David Omand: Well, two stand out. Obviously. One is the changes in the nature of the threats that intelligence is there to support government decision making. And the other is obviously in the technology. I joined GCHQ in 1969. So it was in the Col...

In this episode of Technology and Security, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey speaks with Nina Jankowicz, world leading disinformation expert and author. They discuss the necessity of an alliance among democratic nations to address technological challenges, and shape policies that have real impact. They discuss the security threats of disinformation campaigns, highlighting their real-world impact on human behaviour and the role of data in targeted manipulation. Russian disinformation tactics were examined, in the context of events in Ukraine, the treatment of Navalny, and broader global developments. Nina also shared examples of successful strategies used by countries like Estonia and Ukraine in countering disinformation through social policies and media literacy initiatives.

They explore content moderation and censorship equivalence and what it means for social media platforms and safeguarding democracy. The discussion touches on the impact of attention capture on our information environment. Looking ahead, they predict increased interference campaigns in 2024 as well as discuss the role of AI and watermarking, the necessity of improving legal frameworks for online harms, and the importance of transparency and oversight in social media to counter data and information warfare effectively. The conversation includes personal reflections from Nina and insights into the normalisation of misogyny and the alarming rise of deepfake pornography, with strategies to combat its proliferation and potential role for public figures like Taylor Swift in mobilising survivor communities.

Resources mentioned in the recording:

· Nina Jankowicz, How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict (Bloomsbury 2020) https://www.ninajankowicz.com/books

· Nina Jankowicz, How to Be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment and How to Fight Back (Bloomsbury 2022) https://www.ninajankowicz.com/books

· Vaclav Havel, The Power of the Powerless. October 1978.

· Miah Hammond-Errey Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted (Routledge 2024) (20% discount code for book AFL04)

· Miah Hammond-Errey, 18 December 2023, Did you Tech 2023? A wrap of the year’s tech news, with an Australian flavour, The Mandarin

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Dharawul people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Thanks to the talents of those involved. Music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan.

Transcript: please check against delivery

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: My guest today is Nina Jankowicz. Nina is a disinformation expert who advocates for those harassed online. She's the vice president of the centre for Information Resilience. In 2022 she served as the executive director of the Disinformation Governance Board in the US Department of Homeland Security. She has authored two fabulous books, How to Lose the Information War and How to Be a Woman Online. Thanks so much for joining me, Nina.

Nina Jankowicz: I'm really excited to be here.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: We're coming to you today from the lands of the Dharawal people. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging, We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea, and community and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: Nina, you have written extensively about elections and the information environment, and we've both written about the significance of 2024 for elections. 76 countries are holding elections this year, which will see more than half the world's population casting a ballot. What are you most concerned about?

Nina Jankowicz: I think the the thing that makes me most worried is actually the change kind of sea change in how we think about content moderation and trust and safety as we head into this year. back in 2016, 2017, this was a field that didn't really exist yet. since then, we've seen kind of the emergence of the field, the emergence of a lot of cooperation between the public and private sectors to identify and mitigate disinformation that have resulted in some pretty big gains. Right? We've seen, you know, campaigns taken down by the French gover...

Special Episode: Big Data, Emerging Technology & National Security Decision-Making Lecture

*Unfortunately, the episode we had planned to release today is still in production. Our guest was recalled to deal with a major cyber incident on the day of recording. This episode will hopefully be released soon.*

Instead, by popular request, we are bringing you a special episode. This is an edited lecture I gave at ANU which covers big data and emerging technologies, their impacts on national security and how they create friction in national security decision-making. Big data isn't just a buzzword anymore; it's fundamentally altering the landscape of national security. Data abundance, digital connectivity, and ubiquitous technology form what I call the big data landscape. They are a trifecta shaping the future of national security.

This lecture highlights how the big data landscape and technologies like AI are broadening out and challenging our understanding of national security. It also shows that they are centralising informational, computation and commercial power. It then explores the way new technologies create friction in national security agencies and in policymaking process. Friction from within shows how intelligence and decision-making are impacted and friction from outside looks at the information environment.

Resources mentioned in the recording:

· · Miah Hammond-Errey (2024) Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted (20% discount code for book AFL04)

· Jennifer Jackett (2023) Black Swan Strategy paper, Defence Innovation and The Australian National Interest

· Miah Hammond-Errey (2020) Chapter 18, Transformational Technology and Strategy In: N. Finney, ed., On Strategy,1st ed. Army University Press

· Feb 2023, Secrecy, sovereignty and sharing: How data and emerging technologies are transforming intelligence, USSC

· Blake Johnson, Miah Hammond-Errey, Daria Impiombato, Albert Zhang (2022) Suppressing the truth and spreading lies. How the CCP is influencing Solomon Islands’ information environment

· Miah Hammond-Errey (2023) Big data, emerging technologies and the characteristics of ‘good intelligence’, Intelligence and National Security
· 15 July 2023, Twitter Is Becoming a Sewer of Disinformation, Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/07/15/elon-musk-twitter-blue-checks-verification-disinformation-propaganda-russia-china-trust-safety/
· Zedner, Lucia. 2009. Security (Routledge: London).

· Véliz, Carissa. 2021. 'Privacy and digital ethics after the pandemic', Nature Electronics, 4: 10-11.
· Buzan, Barry, Ole Waever, and Jaap de Wilde. 1998. Security : a new framework for analysis (Boulder, Colo. : Lynne Rienner Pub. , 1998.).
· Kent, Sherman. 1966. Strategic intelligence for American world policy (Princeton University Press: Princeton, N.J.,).

· Lowenthal, Mark M. 2012. Intelligence: from secrets to policy (SAGE/CQ Press: Los Angeles Thousand Oaks, California).

· Omand, David. 2010. Securing the state (Columbia University Press: New York).

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Thanks to the talents of those involved. Recording by ANU, music by Dr Paul Mac and production by Elliott Brennan.

Transcript, check against delivery

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey: [00:00:02] Welcome to Technology and Security. TS is a podcast exploring the intersections of emerging technologies and national security. I'm your host, Doctor Miah Hammond-Errey. Today we are bringing you a special episode. Our planned guest was recalled to deal with a major cyber incident on the day of recording. The episode we had planned to release today is still under produ...

In this episode of Technology and Security, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey speaks with Professor Nita Farahany about the increasing emergence of neurotechnology and what it means for national security as well as consumers, policy makers, military forces and nation states. They discuss the importance of ensuring the privacy of brain data as the ‘final piece in the jigsaw puzzle’ of data collection by large technology companies. They also discuss the possibility of identifying, verifying and targeting individuals by their neural signature and why addressing this technology should be a national security priority. They explore the current and potential roles neurotechnology can play in combatting information warfare and improving cognitive resilience as well as the increasing role of AI. Finally, they highlight what to look out for in tech in 2024.

Nita Farahany is a Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke University and is a leading scholar in the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging technologies. She has consulted extensively and including advising DARPA and has testifying before Congress. Nita was on the US Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues for many years. Her latest book, The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the right to think freely in the age of neurotechnology, examines the ethical and legal challenges of emerging neurotechnology.

Technology and Security is hosted by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, the inaugural director of the Emerging Technology program at the United States Studies Centre, based at the University of Sydney.

Resources mentioned in the recording:

• (Nita Farahany) The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the right to think freely in the age of neurotechnology
• (US Department of Health and Human Services) Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
• (Apple) Vision Pro
• (Meta) Meta Connect Conference
• (Miah Hammond-Errey) Big data and national security: A guide for Australian policymakers
• (Miah Hammond-Errey) Big Data, Emerging Technologies and Intelligence: National Security Disrupted
• (Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce, December 2021) Addition of Certain Entities to the Entity List and Revision of an Entry on the Entity List
• (Miah Hammond-Errey) AI will shape our world – even our brains – but it can be regulated
• (Daniel Kahneman) Thinking, Fast and Slow

Miah’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Miah_HE

The USSC website: https://www.ussc.edu.au/

Making great content requires fabulous teams. Thanks to the great talents of the following.

• Research support and editorial assistance: Tom Barrett
• Production: Elliott Brennan
• Podcast design: Susan Beale
• Music: Dr. Paul Mac

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Gadigal people, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging — here and wherever you’re listening. We acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.