Cyber Cognitive Warfighter Training 

This course includes the use of ChatGPT and other AI solutions

June 12-16  Monday-Thursday 7:45-5 PM, Friday 7:45-12 PM.

New York City

Course lectures demonstrate browser setup (extensions/plug-ins/add-ins) for operational security, multiple browser configurations and containers for the alignment to and tracking of personas. Students learn how to test browsers for leakage.

OPSEC methods, online anonymity, persona creation, secure browser configuration with no verified leaks. OSINT and Darknet searching, Social media searches and collection, Personality identification using Myers-Briggs, the Big 5, the Dark Triad/Pitch Black Tetrad, the Psychological Techniques of the Seven Radicals, and the Nine Enneagram Type. Methods and TTPs of cyber HUMINT tactics, campaign development, management, and execution. // Adversary targeting with cyber D3A/F3EAD, PIRs, OSINT, Darknet. // Information warfare, counterintelligence deception methods, Russian/Chinese/Iranian Cyber Warfare models, and cyber psychological operations, Cognitive war campaigns. Intelligence-driven security teaming. If you are tired of paying for generic information or information of little intelligence value, this course is for you. We teach you how to find relevant information that is credible, sources that are valid, and methods of data provenance.

Students must maintain operational security of their Internet searches (Internet and Darknet) since we perform extensive research during class time. VPNs are needed and we do provide preferred VPN lists. We cover persona creation, alignment to intelligence requirements, rules of engagement for passive collection, persona character archetypes, and ChatGPT style AI content fillers. Students will use virtual machines, download, and install ChatGPT, train the AI module on their data stores, and incorporate updated content during hands-on course case studies. We now included AI into our content analysis and stores while working to build automated hypothesis generators outside our own capabilities. We are also working to incorporate automated intelligence analysis that incorporates structured analytic technique methods. Our final effort includes AI assistance in writing analytic reports. Students may use the AI tools over their data stores to help in:

• Threat detection: AI-powered systems can scan large volumes of data and find patterns of behavior that show potential threats. This can help security teams quickly find and respond to threats before they can cause harm.
• Fraud detection: AI tools can analyze financial transactions, user behavior and other data sources to find anomalies that may indicate fraudulent activity.
• Malware detection: AI algorithms can analyze code and behavior to find malware and other forms of malicious software.
• Estimating future actions: AI can analyze historical data to find patterns and make forecasts about future cyber threats.
• Network security: AI can check network traffic and find potential security threats, such as unauthorized access or data breaches.
• Incident response: AI tools can aid security teams in responding to incidents by analyzing data and finding the source of the attack.

The course blends cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, and cognitive warfare, from setup through passive execution. Students learn how to find adversaries in both the darknet and in open sources, while creating accounts through standardized OPSEC methods proven to be secure.

The course covers operational security methods, online anonymity, persona creation and management with:

• Myers-Briggs,
• the Big 5,
• the Dark Triad/Pitch Black Tetrad,
• the Psychological Techniques of the Seven Radicals,
• the Nine Enneagram Type Descriptions

Students learn about themselves, their own behaviors in optimal operating mode, under stress, and in an evil mode. We work with students to relate these modes to created personas and cyber HUMINT tactics.

OPSEC methods, online anonymity, persona creation, secure browser configuration with no verified leaks. OSINT and Darknet searching, social media searches and collection, Personality identification using Myers-Briggs, the Big 5, the Dark Triad/Pitch Black Tetrad, the Psychological Techniques of the Seven Radicals, and the Nine Enneagram Type. Methods and TTPs of cyber HUMINT tactics, campaign development, management, and execution. We teach critical thinking methods that shorten analysis while using the correct structured analytic techniques to shorten the lifecycle. Adversary targeting with cyber D3A/F3EAD, PIRs, OSINT, Darknet. // Information warfare, counterintelligence deception methods, Russian/Chinese/Iranian Cyber Warfare models, and cyber psychological operations, Cognitive war campaigns. Intelligence-driven security teaming. Students must also take short personality tests to share during class. For US-based course locations, Treadstone 71 provides phones for students to aid with anonymity and account creation. The course also covers social media account setup, extensive use of open-source tools, methods of finding groups, channels, and chats, setting up aggregated search criteria that increases speed, targeted for individual organizational use. during class time. The course blends cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, and cognitive warfare, from setup through passive execution. Students learn how to find adversaries in both the darknet and in open sources, while creating accounts through standardized OPSEC methods proven to be secure.

The updates ensure identifying adversaries, risk rating their capabilities, intent, and maliciousness, while identifying methods to counter their hybrid warfare and influence operations against our assets. The training covers strategic, operational, tactical, and technical intelligence domains. Students learn strategic methods with STEMPLES Plus focusing on cyber threats such as espionage, sabotage, hacktivism, social engineering, and influence operations (geo-political, nation-state, and non-state actors), cognitive warfare methods, cybercrime and ransomware, and potential patterns, trends, and tendencies of existing and emerging threats. Students learn to create adversary profiles and patterns of life, both group and individual models.

Passive collection is, by nature, risk adverse. Create rules-of-engagement aligned to legal needs and corporate risk appetites. Ensure your data maintains provenance with a patient and pragmatic approach to data collection. Perform initial data reviews for credibility and source analysis for validation. Keep your collection relevant to your intelligence requirements.

Students learn how to mine for data, using OSINT and COTS tools while exploiting social media using securely configured, no-leak browsers. We assist students to understand and apply intelligence management concepts that enhance and improve analytical processes. Tools cover HUMINT, IMINT, GEOINT, SIGINT, and OSINT. We explore the tools used in OSINT by hackers from adversary countries. Students learn their usage, methods, tactics, and sites they regularly visit. From nation-state threat actors to cyber criminals, the course includes hands on setup and proving of browser configuration, extension use, and container builds. Students leave with the confidence that their collection activities are always secure. No leakage of any type.

Students improve the ability to research, gather data, maintain provenance, dissect, assemble, and analyze facts using reasoning methods to draw conclusions based on stakeholder priority intelligence requirements. Classroom instruction ensures students learn how to move quickly and effectively in fast-paced environments managing multiple facets of the intelligence lifecycle ensuring timely product delivery. We also help students and teams close their collection and analytic gaps, improving their ability to forecast and estimate adversary actions, and author impactful analytic products that follow a rhythm creating standard and fast methods of writing.

In addition, students learn how to create various text to voice audio in different languages, video/audio integration, and other methods of creating content for online posting. This includes using the latest online AI tools for content creation, extraction, and manipulation. We teach enabling the understanding of the methods used against students as opposed to having to engage directly in deception campaigns.

The course also covers areas of:

• Adversary target assessments,
• Stakeholder analysis,
• Structured analysis,
• Collection methods and tracking,
• Counterintelligence deception methods,
• Conspiracy theories,
• Russian/Chinese/Iranian cyber warfare models,
• Information warfare,
• Aspects of cognitive warfare

Prior to the course, we send out minimum necessary laptop specifications, data provenance software to install along with other pre-course tools for setup. Pre-class setup includes building VirtualBox environments with software for anonymous collection (OSINT VMs), and USB operated stand-online platforms.

Students receive training materials, books, Treadstone 71 Reference Guides, CPE credits, and certificates for the work performed. We do not have students take tests based on memorization. Instead, students pass the course through full attendance and execution of all case studies. In addition, practical and pragmatic performance evaluation during the course confirms student knowledge.

The course runs from 7:45-5 PM Monday-Thursday and 7:45-12 PM on Friday. Breakfast and lunch is served daily.

Students need to have a solid understanding of browsers and the Internet. Students may also provide organizational gaps and possible targeting needs prior to class to help personalize the course. Treadstone 71 will sign mutual NDAs to facilitate this process.

Course eligibility is limited to US Citizens, NATO member countries, and other US-friendly countries. However, unlike others, we vet each student and do not allow adversaries access to our courses.

This course follows a crawl-walk-run in-class methodology with hands-on  validation of skill. Each student walks away with ready-built, proven configurations they can use on day one. We also provide ROE and RACI(S) examples for collection and analysis.