Claims
Qualified triples from the transcripts. Origin, speaker, and evidence stay attached.
These are not independently verified facts.
NTP DDoS attack
ATTRIBUTED_TO
Anonymous
The episode presents Anonymous as having publicly claimed or bragged about the NTP DDoS attack, but the attribution is based on that public claim rather than independently established evidence.
Uncertain
Confidence 82%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“In those days it was fairly easy when you had Anonymous bragging about it on Twitter.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 36803–36888
2016 US election influence campaign
ATTRIBUTED_TO
Russia
James Clapper says the Russians mounted the most aggressive and direct campaign in the history of US elections to interfere with and influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
Attributed
Confidence 97%
· James Clapper
EP 65
Details
“this was the most aggressive and most direct and most assertive campaign that the Russians ever mounted”
James Clapper ·
offsets 42178–42281
2016 US election influence campaign
INVOLVES
Democratic National Committee email hack
The campaign is described as involving the hacking and timed release of DNC emails.
Attributed
Confidence 98%
· James Clapper
EP 65
Details
“the famous or infamous hacking of the DNC e-mails and the exquisitely-timed dumping of them”
James Clapper ·
offsets 43040–43131
2016 US election influence campaign
INVOLVES
RT
Clapper describes a sophisticated propaganda campaign mounted by RT, which he characterizes as a government propaganda arm.
Attributed
Confidence 98%
· James Clapper
EP 65
Details
“A very, I think, sophisticated, slick propaganda campaign mounted by RT which of course is a government propaganda arm.”
James Clapper ·
offsets 43245–43364
2016 US election influence campaign
INVOLVES
social media manipulation
The campaign used social-media trolls, fake news, and other social-media techniques to influence the election.
Attributed
Confidence 98%
· James Clapper
EP 65
Details
“very skillful, sophisticated use of social media; social media trolls, planting fake news”
James Clapper ·
offsets 43153–43242
NTP DDoS attack
INVOLVES
Network Time Protocol
Nichols identifies the incident as an NTP DDoS attack against a primary website.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“I believe it was a NTP DDoS attack against the primary website; Network Time Protocol.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 36276–36362
Operation Wandering Soul
INVOLVES
PSYOP
The Vietnam operation described as Operation Wandering Soul involved PSYOP troops broadcasting messages over loudspeakers.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“There was this one mission in Vietnam called Operation Wandering Soul.”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 30270–30340
“These are the sounds that the PSYOPS troops were playing for the enemy in Vietnam over the loudspeakers.”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 30424–30528
Junaid Hussain
MEMBER_OF
TeaMp0isoN
Nichols identifies TeaMp0isoN as Junaid Hussain's crew.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“one of them being Junaid Hussain’s crew. TeaMp0isoN was their name.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 32472–32540
Henry
MEMBER_OF
United States Army
Henry was in the Army and is now a reservist.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“Turns out Henry here was in the army but is now a reservist.”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 1758–1818
Jonathan Nichols
MEMBER_OF
United States Army
Jonathan Nichols signed up for the Army and went directly into PSYOPS.
Explicit
Confidence 98%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“He signed up for the army and went through boot camp, and then went straight into PSYOPS.”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 7852–7941
Fulcra Worldwide
SAME_AS
Strategic Social
Jack says Fulcra Worldwide subsequently changed its name to Strategic Social.
Explicit
Confidence 92%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“and then Strategic Social”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 10486–10511
PSYOP
SAME_AS
Military Information Support Operations
The episode says the military has changed the name of PSYOP to Military Information Support Operations because of PSYOP's negative connotation.
Explicit
Confidence 96%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“they now call it MISO which stands for Military Information Support Operations”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 53873–53951
Lincoln Group
SAME_AS
Fulcra Worldwide
Jack says the Lincoln Group changed its name to Fulcra Worldwide.
Explicit
Confidence 95%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“Lincoln Group changed their name to Fulcra Worldwide”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 10433–10485
Jonathan Nichols
USES
atmospherics
Nichols served as an atmospherics manager in Afghanistan, gathering word-on-the-street information about local sentiment.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“I was the atmospherics manager.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 13589–13620
Henry
USES
PSYOP
Henry says he is currently in psychological operations.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Henry
EP 65
Details
“I did intelligence support and currently I’m in psychological operations.”
Henry ·
offsets 1826–1899
Jonathan Nichols
USES
leaflet drop
Nichols disseminated leaflets as part of a counter-IED PSYOP mission.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“then also disseminated all sorts of different leaflets”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 25247–25301
Jonathan Nichols
USES
Internet Relay Chat
Nichols monitored hacker activity through an IRC channel and later used IRC in threat-intelligence work.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“I was in an IRC channel and somebody hit me in a PM”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 32911–32962
“hop back and drive straight back to base, hope onto IRC”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 34582–34637
Edward L. Bernays
USES
fear-based persuasion
Jack says Bernays relied on emotion and fear rather than facts or logical persuasion.
Explicit
Confidence 96%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“Instead, go for their emotions. Skip the facts and just draw on their instinctual urges and maybe even scare them.”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 55031–55146
Jonathan Nichols
USES
counter-propaganda analysis
Nichols worked as a chief counter-propaganda analyst monitoring adversary propaganda and helping craft counter-messaging.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“Chief counter-propaganda analyst, United States Forces, Iraq.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 10838–10899
“help the US government craft a counter-messaging”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 11899–11947
United States Army
USES
PSYOP
Henry and Jack describe PSYOP as a United States Army capability used to persuade, change, and influence target audiences.
Explicit
Confidence 98%
· Jack Rhysider
EP 65
Details
“there’s a unit in the army that’s sole mission is to get the adversary to change their behavior”
Jack Rhysider ·
offsets 2467–2562
Jonathan Nichols
USES
human intelligence
Nichols characterizes atmospherics as a type of human intelligence, while distinguishing it from tactical intelligence collection.
Explicit
Confidence 95%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“Essentially, it’s a type of human intelligence without using the proper title.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 13735–13813
Jonathan Nichols
USES
threat intelligence
After moving to New York, Nichols led a threat-intelligence analyst team and reported on ongoing hacker activity and anticipated attacks.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“to lead the threat intel analyst team”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 34787–34824
“At that point, it was now my job to engage with hackers, identify what was going on every single day, and report that up.”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 35032–35153
Jonathan Nichols
USES
NGLS loudspeaker
Nichols used an NGLS loudspeaker mounted on a Humvee to broadcast messages during a PSYOP mission.
Explicit
Confidence 99%
· Jonathan Nichols
EP 65
Details
“it’s called the NGLS loudspeaker. It’s a 24” by 24” box that sits on top of a Humvee”
Jonathan Nichols ·
offsets 20199–20284
Cygenta
ASSOCIATED_WITH
NCSC
Cygenta participates in the NCSC's schools help program.
Explicit
Confidence 98%
· FC
EP 66
Details
“We’re part of the NCSC’s school’s help program”
Cygenta
ASSOCIATED_WITH
TeenTech
Cygenta participates in TeenTech.
Explicit
Confidence 98%
· FC
EP 66
Details