What it takes to be a good analyst

Steve Miller, co-founder and president of OpenBI (www.OpenBI.com) wrote a blog post for Information-management.com on April 19, 2010, titled “BI, Analytics and Statistical Science“. He writes that “I think the list provides a foundation of what it takes to succeed in BI” (Business Intelligence). Steve holds degrees in Quantitative Methods and Statistics from Johns Hopkins, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Illinois, and he acknowledges that his list is statistics/research-centric. I my view, that is not a disadvantage.

I think the list is also very valid for somebody working in an analyst function within for example competitive intelligence or governmental open source intelligence analysis:

General Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills,
• Customer-facing personality,
• Ability to work productively as an individual or in collaboration with others,
• Ability to write/communicate clearly, accurately, and effectively,
• Ability to think analytically,
• Data centricity – obsession with evidence-based problem resolution,
• An understanding of the scientific method – theory, hypotheses, testing and learning,
• Ability to use the scientific method to conceptualize business problems,
• Orientation to business and one or more business processes – either vertical or horizontal,
• Commitment to life-long learning.

Technical Skills

• Intermediate programming and computation skills,
• Facility with logical and physical relational databases (SQL),
• Understanding of the economic approach – “the allocation of scarce means to satisfy competing ends” – to problem solving,
• Facility with standard statistical/BI packages to perform analytic calculations,
• Ability to interpret the the results obtained from these packages,
• Facility with a variety of graphical/visualization techniques for exploring and presenting analytic data,
• Understanding of the principles of management, accounting, finance and marketing,
• Understanding of the meaning of business optimization,
• Ability to recognize the nature of, and to model, the random variation underlying given business data,
• Understanding the nature of statistical inference – its scope, limitations and proper role in the process of business analytical investigation,
• Ability to express a generally-posed business problem in a statistical context; ability to translate business concepts for measurement.
• Understanding how to obtain a suitable sample from a population and how to make inferences from that sample,
• Understanding of experimental and quasi-experimental designs for BI,
• Ability to provide advice on the design of business analytic investigations,
• Understanding of a variety of commonly-used analytic techniques and the models underlying them,
• Conversance with the mathematical underpinnings of often-used analytics techniques to facilitate simple modifications in appropriate situations,
• Understanding of alternatives to traditional statistical modeling from computer and mathematical sciences,
• Comfort with Internet research,
• Obsession to stay current with the latest analytic methods/techniques.

BI, Analytics and Statistical Science.

Arabic, Farsi, Pashto Linguist Support

Arabic, Farsi, Pashto Linguist Support(JIC OSINT)
Mantech
Tampa, FL United States

For over 40 years, ManTech International Corporation has provided advanced technologies and solutions in support of mission-critical national security programs. Our customers include the Intelligence Community; the U.S. departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, and Justice; the Space Community; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and other U.S. federal government agencies. ManTech is ranked as a Top 100 IT company in the world (BusinessWeek magazine); is a recipient of the Cogswell Award for industrial security (Department of Defense); and is a Top 10 military friendly employer (G.I. Jobs magazine). With approximately 8,000 employees in 300 locations in the U.S and around the globe, ManTech delivers comprehensive technical services, cyber operations, program security, C4ISR systems engineering, information technology, and global logistics and communications. We work side-by-side with our armed services on the battlefield and throughout the U.S. Come and be a part of our award-winning company.
Job Duties and Responsibilities

ManTech Mission, Cyber and Technology Solutions is making America stronger by supporting and securing critical missions. We are expanding to meet the complex needs of our clients and would like to consider your talents!

Provide dedicated support necessary to collect raw intelligence information in all languages utilized within the USCENTCOM AOR and provide interpretations of the collected information.

Demonstrate proficiency in the target language by achieving a minimum level 4/4 comprehension (or higher) proficiency according to the Interagency Roundtable (IRL) scale as measured by the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).

Provide personnel who are certified as an Arabic native speaker Level 5/5 comprehension rating who will provide translation support to senior military flag officers.

Typical products and activities shall include, but are not limited to the following:

· Translation support for executive level (general officer) meetings/foreign leaders

· Perform intelligence exchange activities with foreign governments

· Prepare document translation summaries and debriefing reports

· Monitoring television, print, and broadcast media sources

· Review documents, provide recommendations and/or other services regarding Middle Eastern customs, courtesies, and religions

· Translate collected information to and from the target language

· Provide briefings and other written reports/documents as required

This position requires a US Citizenship and a current active TS/SCI security clearance.

Join our ManTech Team! Named in the top 100 Information Technology companies in the world by Business Week magazine.

We partner with our customers to deliver the best solutions while we recruit the most talented and experienced professionals. ManTech places a high value on providing equal opportunities and we recognize that our people are our greatest asset.
Qualifications

Must have a current active TS/SCI security clearance.

Requires Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in professional military-related 2-4 years of experience.

Degrees Equivalent Experience/Education
Bachelor’s Degree
Majors None
Years of Experience 11-13 years w/High School Diploma
05-07 years w/Bachelors Degree
02-04 years w/Masters Degree
Position Type FT
Shift Day
ManTech International Corporation, as well as its subsidiaries, is concerned that it fulfill its role as an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, status as a Disabled Veteran, Special Disabled Veteran, Armed Forces Service Medal Veteran, Recently Separated Veteran, Vietnam Era Veteran or Other Protected Veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a position with ManTech through its online applicant system, please contact ManTech’s Corporate EEO Department at (703) 218-6000. ManTech is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer – minorities, females, disabled and veterans are urged to apply. ManTech’s utilization of any external recruitment or job placement agency is predicated upon its full compliance with our equal opportunity/affirmative action policies. We request that qualified women, minorities, disabled and veterans be referred to us for any ManTech job openings listed within your company or agency. ManTech does not accept resumes from unsolicited recruiting firms. We pay no fees for unsolicited services.

Job code: 36576BR
15585011

http://www.applyhr.com/15585011

First 2010 OSINT report from ISN at ETH Zürich

1 April 2010
OSINT Report 1/2010
This OSINT Report covers topics such as long-term data retention, automatic translation, interactive analytics, intelligence validation and verification regimes, stratetic forecasting and information abundance. It presents key challenges and suggestions on how to best master them.

As a leading open access information service for international relations and security professionals, the ISN provides quarterly open-source intelligence (OSINT) reports outlining current trends, developments and challenges of information sharing, knowledge management and related information technologies.

In line with other efforts in the field of OSINT such as workshops, training, community-building and networking, the ISN is thus fostering the exchange between information collection and analysis professionals and is promoting a broader understanding of the security implications of publicly available data and their interpretation.

© 2010 International Relations and Security Network (ISN)

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Communities-and-Partners/Expert-Communities/Open-Source-Intelligence-OSINT

http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=115014

Direct link to the PDF (9 pages, 1.0 MB): http://129.132.36.140/serviceengine/Files/ISN/115014/ipublicationdocument_singledocument/5431dfae-bd29-4d30-afad-2a689bc566e6/en/OSINT_REPORT_0110.pdf

OSINT Instructor/Analyst at Ft Huachuca in Sierra Vista AZ

Job Description
The Operations, Intelligence, and Security Business Unit currently has an opening for a OSINT Instructor/Analyst at Ft Huachuca in Sierra Vista, AZ.

Employee will serve as the Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) subject matter expert, gathering Open Source material from various U.S. Government offices and agencies. Employee will develop OSINT training in support of the Officer Education System (OES), the Joint Intelligence Combat Training Center (JICTC), United States Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE), and external units and customers as required. The Employee will provide resident training to USAICoE courses as well as mobile training in support of pre-deployment preparation as directed. The Employee will conduct OSINT training in accordance with the current OSINT Program of Instruction (POI), and conduct effective OSINT exploitation techniques through research and data mining. Coordinate with the command to support the soldiers training missions and provide a venue for soldiers and staff to practice effective OSINT exploitation. Employee will actively coordinate with the leadership of pre-deploying units and USAICoE Course Managers to ensure timed-phased completion dates are synchronized and fully support unit deployment timelines and individual course training requirements. Employee will assist with creation and publication of bi-weekly OSINT News Summaries that cover all Military Intelligence Military Occupational Specialties and support current OSINT training requirements. Employee will answer Requests For Information (RFIs) from other OSINT Community members; and assist in the publication of monthly Open Source reports that cover research requirements.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Employee will serve as a member of the Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) team supporting the 304th MI Bn and will be a subject matter expert on gathering Open Source material from various U.S. Government offices and agencies. Employee will work with other team members to publish guidance; develop Programs of Instruction (POI) and courseware; update Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs); and various other products that will assist all Military Intelligence Military Occupational Specialties on OSINT related issues. Employee will develop OSINT training in support of the Officer Education System (OES), the Joint Intelligence Combat Training Center (JICTC), United States Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE), and external units and customers as required. The Employee will provide resident training to USAICoE courses as well as mobile training in support of pre-deployment preparation. The Employee will conduct OSINT training in accordance with the current OSINT Program of Instruction (POI), and conduct effective OSINT exploitation techniques through research and data mining. Coordinate with the command to support the soldiers training missions and provide a venue for soldiers and staff to practice effective OSINT exploitation.

MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Must have active TS/SCI Clearance

• 6 years of military or Intelligence Community (IC) experience (or equivalent contracting support to the military and/or IC)

• BA/BS (relevant military experience may be substitutes in lieu of a degree)

• Demonstrated OSINT credentials and experience

• Instruction experience

• Web research experience & familiarity with search engines and research techniques

• Broad assignment experience

• Staff work

• Strong public speaking skills

• Strong customer service orientation

• Strong analytical research and writing skills

ADDITIONAL DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Familiarity with any foreign language (does not have to be fluent)

• Familiarity with US government Open Source research tools- INTELINK U, Open Source Center, DA ISS SharePoint, etc.

• Familiarity with commercial Open Source research tools- LexisNexis, ProQuest, Janes, Oxford Analytica, EBSCO, etc.

• Familiarity with Open Source GEOINT tools- such as Google Earth

• Familiarity with i2 Analyst’s Notebook and/or other types of similar software

• Familiarity with Pathfinder

• Be able to create/conduct Pattern Analysis Association Matrices, Time Event Charts, etc.

• Familiarity with other Intelligence Disciplines, All Source analysis, and Information Operations

• Familiarity with basic website research tools and software (registry lookups, reverse IP lookups, etc.)

• Familiarity with Open Source people/identity trace tools

• Familiarity with online OPSEC tools and tactics (anonymizers, proxies, VMware, etc.)

• Down range experience of research support to military in Iraq or Afghanistan AORs is a plus

• Journalism and/or Think Tank experience

• Library research skills

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. For more information, visit http://www.saic.com. SAIC: From Science to Solutions®

http://www.clearedjobs.net/jobs/fa/details/jid/28196

Innumeracy – your employees can’t do math

In his book Innumeracy: mathematical illiteracy and its consequences from 1990, John Allen Paulos writes about the common inability among people – even in important positions – to do simple math. While society looks upon illiteracy as a big problem, and inability to spell correctly is shameful for the individual, nobody seems to be troubled by innumeracy. For example: Nobody says “corporation with a C or Korporation with a K, I don’t care how you spell it in the report as long as you have it done in time”. As a contrast, quotes similar to the following is not unheard of: “A billion or a trillion, I don’t care how many of them you have detected, just file the report in time”. Just ask your self – are you fully aware of the difference between a “billion” and “trillion”? If you are not, make sure you become so.

James Taylor writes about exactly this on SmartDataCollective.com (a TeraData community site) on April 4, 2010, in a post called Don’t rely on your staff’s ability to do math:

I often tell folks that one of the benefits of decision management is that it enables analytic decision making – that is decisions based on accurate analysis of data about what works and what does not – even by people who don’t have any analytic skill.[…] And this is important because most people don’t have these skills! Presenting them with data and expecting them to accurately use it is just not reasonable. […] Please, embed the analytics, don’t rely on your staff’s ability to do math.

http://smartdatacollective.com/Home/25961

Directors should have access to crucial competitive intelligence

says Leonard M. Fuld, founder of Fuld & Company, in a brief and very to-the-point article from October 2006 worth reading. A PDF is available for download here: http://www.academyci.com/ResourceCenter/Intellectual_Capital_Directorship_10-06.pdf

Fuld makes 5 very good points, which he further explains with concrete examples in his article:

1. Knowledge comes in many forms. Directors require the right kind of data, not over-worked, overproduced data.

2. People have blind spots. Board members, just like their executive counterparts, need to constantly challenge their company’s assumptions.

3. War games can outsmart the competition. Directors need to use intelligence strategically, forcing themselves to examine the options a company realistically has arrayed before it.

4. On the Internet, things may not be what they seem. Board members cannot walk into meetings after conducting amateur Internet searches a to explain a situation or a product.

5. Intelligence must be planned for. Boards need their own monitoring services. They require simple mechanisms whereby they can ask questions.

Document metadata can reveal secrets

Microsoft Office documents (.doc) may contain hidden data, or meta-data, that includes user information, such as the user’s name and initials, company name, the name of the computer, the path to the location where the document was saved, the names of previous document authors, hidden text or cells, comments, and other information about the document itself. The document owner may not be, and usually isn’t, aware that the electronic form of the document contains anything more than what he/she has written and can see on the computer screen. This could lead to the inadvertent disclosure of sensitive or proprietary data when the electronic versions of these documents are shared with others.

Doc Scrubber is a free application from JavaCool Software that lets you “scrub” word documents for data such as the user name of the document creator, the date and time of creation, the name of other users who edited the document, time of editing and more. Doc Scrubber supports Word documents in the classic .DOC format (the default format in Word 97, 2000, XP, 2003).

The value of this is that you can verify that the alleged writer of a document actually is the sender, and you can check to see if other people were involved in the production of the document. In rare cases, you can get an indication of the writers sentiment about the topic, if for example the original file location path contains an expressive folder name.

There are famous true cases where foul play has been revealed by reviewing word document metadata. Read more in this article (from 2006): http://news.cnet.com/Editing-tips-from-the-NSA/2100-1029_3-6030745.html

This whitepaper from SANS Institute (SANS.org) by Larry Pesce gives good information on metadata in several different kinds of electronic files as a source of information:

“This paper will illustrate ways in which metadata stored in common types of documents can reveal secrets about an organization”

http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/privacy/document-metadata-silent-killer_32974
(NOTE: The above link leads to a file that you must save to disk. Then, add the file extention .pdf and you can open it with your PDF-reader software).

Related previous posts on iOSINT:

https://iosint.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/an-image-file-says-more-than-a-picture/

Predicting the Future With Social Media

Sitaram Asur and Bernardo A. Huberman at the Social Computing Lab at HP Labs in Palo Alto, California, have demonstrated how social media content can be used to predict real-world outcomes. They used content from Twitter.com to forecast box-office revenues for movies. With a simple model built from the rate at which tweets are created about particular topics, they outperformed market-based predictors. They extracted 2.89 million tweets referring to 24 different movies released over a period of three months. According to the  researchers’ prediction, the movie ”The Crazies” was going to generate 16,8 million dollars in ticket sales during its first weekend.  The true number showed to be very close –  16,06 million dollars. The drama ”Dear John” generated 30,46 million dollars worth of tickets sold, compared to a prediction of 30,71 million dollars.

Reported by British BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8612292.stm

Reported by SiliconValleyWatcher: http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2010/04/twitter_study_i.php

The research report: http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/scl/papers/socialmedia/socialmedia.pdf

Previous related iOSINT posts:

https://iosint.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/ted-com-sean-gourley-on-the-mathematics-of-war/

https://iosint.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/social-media-intelligence-output/

Take a look at what they want to hide

Web site owners can block search engine web spiders and indexation bots from including parts of the content under their domain in the search engine index. That is done by placing a text file named robots.txt in the root directory of the web site. The text file will contain instructions such as “Disallow:” followed by a subdirectory or a web page, which will tell the bots that this part of the site should not be included in the search engine index. As a result, that page or the pages in that subdirectory will not be available among the results from any search.

Of course, none of these pages are truly protected or hidden – they are just not included in the search engines’ lists of “known web pages”. So, anyone knowing the exact web address will be able to browse to the page in question and view it.

In most cases, the web site owner is not really trying to prevent access to anything on his or her site. More likely, the purpose is to omit certain content from the search results, in order to give the more relevant content better visibility. Then, once a visitor is on the web site, everything published on the web site is available through the navigation menus and internal links.

However: there are cases where the site owner has published something to the web server, which is not made part of the public web site, and he or she is trying to hide this content by blocking search engine spiders from indexing that content. The problem is that robots.txt is always a file that is openly available to anyone – otherwise web spiders would not be able to read it. So, whatever anyone is trying to hide from search engines is listed in plain text, right there in robots.txt.

So if you are interested in finding out what some web site owner is hiding from search engines, and in turn ponder over why that might be, just look for the robots.txt file and read it. The file can also contain interesting comments, providing clues to why certains content has been disallowed. If a robots.txt file is in use, it will be found in the root of the site, for example: http://www.google.com/robots.txt

If you want to google for robots.txt files in general, use this query in Google:

ext:txt inurl:robots
(Try it here)

If you want to google for a robots.txt file on a particular domain, use this query in Google:

ext:txt inurl:robots site:yourselecteddomain.com

Here, for example, is the robots.txt file for Microsoft.com:
http://www.google.com/search?q=ext:txt+inurl:robots+site:www.microsoft.com

Apparently, Microsoft don’t want people to find the help pages for MacIntosh owners using Microsoft products when searching…

Read more about robots.txt on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots.txt