The new course that centralizes information operations through cognitive methods. We provide hands-on learning and real-world execution using unique techniques taken from both allies and adversaries.

We will cover concepts in Cognitive Warfare, Gray Zone Tactics, Disinformation, Influence Operations, Information Operations, Color Revolutions, Neuro-Linguistic Program, Private Intelligence Firms, Psychological portrait according to the method of 7 radicals and more. We include review of cognitive warfare approaches, a potential framework, historical examples, rational processes, bias in perception and cognition, decision making and time pressures, domains of conflict and combatants, factors influencing decisions, speed and overload, manipulating situational awareness, inducing behavioral change using deception, distraction, distrust, chaos, and confusion. Students learn to assess adversaries for susceptiblity to cogntive weapons and what to observe for potential impacts. Students will learn methods of deception to deceive adversaries, distraction tactics, content creation for distrust, as well as methods of deployment. These methods are included in student created cognitive campaigns that are continuous from multiple vectors. Students will learn cognition of targets while understanding worlds of social media, information, intelligence, and other online vectors. We also cover the issues associated with measuring campaign effectiveness and influence analysis

Validated and registered students will receive login and preparation information 1 week prior to class start.

Corporate accounts are not Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Mail, Hushmail, Protonmail, and the like). Treadstone 71 reserves the right to restrict course registration based upon certain risk factors. This course presents the student with foundational concepts and processes in the discipline of cyber counterintelligence with a focus on cyber counterintelligence missions, defensive counterintelligence, offensive counterintelligence, and counterespionage as these realms apply to traditional tradecraft, and how they are or will evolve into the cyber domain. The course includes a very different approach to counterintelligence using models exhibited online over the past few years to steer the conversation to the desired outcome

Enrollment Means Training EULA Acceptance – Strictly Enforced

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 as they relate to personas and cyber HUMINT tactics through campaign development, management, and execution. Additionally, the course includes adversary targeting with cyber D3A/F3EAD and establishing PIRs through the execution of open source and darknet collection. Other material covered: Information warfare, counterintelligence deception methods, conspiracy theories, the use of ‘cyber’ color revolutions, Russian/Chinese/Iranian Cyber Warfare models, and cyber psychological operations, setting up and executing cognitive warfare campaigns.

In a reversal of conventional scientific reasoning, the evidence against conspiracy theories is often construed as evidence for them, because the evidence is interpreted as arising from the conspiracy in question.

Conspiracy Theories are commonplace today. Or more importantly, they were always there but now they have become mainstream.

People – including conspiracy theorists themselves – just write off these beliefs as “crazy.” However, they can potentially cause lasting damage.

The psychology behind conspiracy theories and why people cling to them is so important but often overlooked. We should know how to tackle this, but we do not yet.

Many argue that we were so complacent when it comes to conspiracy theories that it allowed Donald Trump to win support and end up becoming President. We underestimated the influence then, and probably still is now.

Vulnerable people are more likely to believe these theories, so we must ensure we do not downplay influence and we highlight the risks associated with them.

Although the internet has allowed for theories to spread more quickly and more widely, it also allows us to be more critical of what we read and believe.

Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries. In the last few decades, their influence has remained much the same, despite them seeming more widespread.

Training EULA

This course combines certain aspects of our cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, influence operations, and cyber operations development training. The course follows traditional tradecraft within the intelligence and counterintelligence domains while including near-current influence operations focusing on disinformation with conspiracy theories, and the rapid constitution of hacktivist and proxy cyber operations groups. This is an intense course that covers six days of training and hands-on case studies. We need six days to cover the material, address case study needs, and see a level of results from planning execution. The course works in a live online environment using operational security mechanisms to maintain anonymity. Laptops must have administrative access. Prior to class, an open-source install list is provided to enrolled students. PCs work best or VMs running Windows software.

Some of the areas we cover: 

• Operational Security – maintaining anonymity online
• Rapid persona creation for monitoring
• Cyber Militia RoE -
• D3A/F3EAD Target acquisition and exploitation 
• Rapid Training
• Militia Members Levels of Expertise
• Point and Shoot
• Cyber Foreign Legion RoE
• Socio-cultural / Geopolitical analysis
• Strategic Dimensions of the Adversary
• Counter Planning
• Adversary Targeting Phase - Cyber battlefield(s)
• Cyber dead drops and covert coms
• Infiltration and elicitation
• When you are infiltrated
• Targeting for trolling
• Adversary courses of action
• Adjust your fire
• A Cyber Foreign Legion
• Needs – How – Levels of Trust
• Switch to the alternative ‘frequency’
• Setting up a crowdsourced-enabled offensive arsenal
• Weaponizing content 
• Disinformation
• Need for Polarization (or not)
• Control the Narrative / Wag the Dog
• Adjust and Shift