OpenAcademy® Course Descriptions


Intelligence Collection

Instructor: Robert Clark
This is a two-day course designed to explain how intelligence collection is done; the special terminology used in different collection “INTs”; their capabilities and limitations; how they are used in practice; the intelligence that is gained from them; and how that intelligence supports policy makers and military operations. This course will be of use to a broad array of intelligence professionals – all source analysts, collection discipline specialists and analysts, and collection managers who need to understand how collection assets work in practice and the challenges of managing and interacting across collection disciplines. The course also will be of value for the national policy and military communities who use intelligence products in the furtherance of U.S. national security objectives.

Analyst Training: Writing, Analysis, and Preparing Briefings
Instructor: Mark Lowenthal

This is a two-day course designed for students to begin developing analytic skills for any intelligence-related or analytical function. This course examines the role of intelligence in the policy process (within government or business), then offers an introduction to analytic skills, beginning with critical thinking and reading, writing analysis, and preparing and presenting successful briefings. Much of what is required for good analytical writing takes place before the analyst actually begins to write.  The scoping and planning of the intelligence analysis therefore are major areas of emphasis in this course, as well as issues of format, length, word selection, etc.  The course is designed to get analysts off to a good start in as little time as possible, recognizing that there are important time constraints in such training and that much will also be learned on the job. 

4.1 CEUGeorge Mason University

Cyberforce Superiority
Instructors: Mark Lowenthal, Michael Hennick

Many experts agree that cyber is a new warfighting domain, requiring new approaches and new skills.  This course is a five-day distillation of a longer, more detailed course designed to take individuals from novice to a highly-skilled cyber warfare practitioner. Unlike most cyber training courses that emphasize either computer security or hacking skills, our course is designed to give students a preliminary integrated understanding of the methodologies and interrelated offensive and defensive factors that come into play when training a cyber warrior.  Students will learn a sample of the introductory, mid-level, and high-level tactics used for Computer Network Operations (CNO) including Computer Network Attack (CNA) & Computer Network Exploitation (CNE), Computer Network Defense (CND), as well as Computer forensics.  Topics of instruction include: ethical hacking, Boolean Logic, networking for both advanced Unix and Windows, vulnerability identification, computer exploit development, and reverse engineering.  This will be a practical course with instruction that is focused on in-class computer exercises and lab work.   This course is offered in partnership with Raytheon Solipsys.
 

National Security Policy Process
Offered in partnership with Fuel Consulting
Instructor: Rick “Ozzie” Nelson

This one-day course examines the role of the interagency process in the formulation of national-level security polices and intelligence. It provides an overview of security policy and strategy development and reviews the institutions, mechanics, and output of this complex dynamic. The course will review the roles and responsibilities of the White House and NSC, departments and agencies, Congress, and the private sector. Through a critical review of relevant case studies, the course seeks to improve understanding of the national security decision making process and provide a practical foundation for policy consumers and intelligence analysts. This course complements the Academy’s intelligence courses by providing a firm policy context.

Intelligence Concepts for Cyber Conflict
Instructor: Jason Healey
The cyber/cyber intelligence issue is one of the most dynamic national security issues.  Basic issues of doctrine and intelligence requirements are still being created and will continue to evolve over the next several years.  Our intelligence concepts for cyber conflict courses reflect and attempt to address these areas of change and uncertainty.This one-day course is intended for individuals starting a career in the field or who are interested in separating the hype from the reality of intelligence in cyberspace. It introduces students to intelligence support to warfare conducted in cyberspace, and addresses computer network attack, defense and exploitation. This course covers the nature of cyberspace; understanding cyber attacks and adversaries in cyberspace; U.S. organizations; and the latest intelligence concepts to support computer network defense and offense. From indications & warning (I&W) and battle damage assessment (BDA), this one-day course will give you your crucial first steps to understanding your role in cyber conflict. This course is offered in partnership with the Kiernan Group (www.Kiernan-Group.com) and Delta Risk, LLC (www.delta-risk.net).

Cyber Collections
Instructor: Timothy Cague
This two-day course offers in-depth technical training in how to perform cyber collections. This course focuses on the planning, collection and analysis of information from a multitude of online resources, including social network media, forums, blogs, domain and network information. This course is intended for anyone who has the need to gather open source intelligence in cyberspace.

0.4 CEUGeorge Mason University

History of U.S. Intelligence
Instructor: Mark Lowenthal
This half-day course reviews the major events and trends that have shaped U.S. intelligence, from its World War II pre-history through the current day. Among the issues that are covered are: responses to external threats; the role of technology; espionage; Congress and partisan politics. This course gives attendees a much better context and understanding of the major forces that continue to influence or determine U.S. intelligence policy.

0.7 CEUGeorge Mason University

Introduction to U.S. Intelligence
Instructor: Mark Lowenthal
This is a one-day course that offers a broad introduction to the major current issues in U.S. intelligence: the current structure of the Community and the role of the agencies and the DNI; collection; analysis; the intelligence budget; and the role of Congress. This is an appropriate course for those who are fairly new to intelligence issues or as a refresher for those returning to intelligence issues.

Operational Intelligence
Instructor: Howard Whetzel
One of the key roles of intelligence, especially in this period of active wars and counter-terrorism operations, is the nature, strengths and weaknesses of intelligence intended to support operations in the field.  This course describes how operational requirements are derived, transmitted to and responded to by intelligence elements; how operational intelligence is collected, analyzed and then used.  These processes are important to understand this level of requirements function, the stresses inherent in today’s Intelligence Community and as part of an understanding as to how all other intelligence processes support their benefactors. This is a one-day course.

Intelligence Budget Process
Instructor: Kathleen Reilly
This is a two-day course that offers a detailed understanding of the intelligence budget process, examining both how the budget is created in the Executive branch, primarily in negotiations between Defense and Intelligence, and then how the budget moves through Congress. This course is extremely helpful to those who are new to the budget process and to those who have programmatic responsibilities that are influenced by federal budget decisions.

Homeland Security Intelligence
Instructor: Mark Lowenthal

This one-day course examines the still-developing field of homeland security intelligence analysis; what it is, what roles are played by homeland security, national and state/local intelligence and the types of intelligence and analytic skills that homeland security analysis requires.

Counter Terrorism: Actionable Intelligence
Instructor: Paul Smith
The effective collection and appropriate use of actionable operational intelligence is critical to all law enforcement and national security agencies in the U.S. Operational success depends on accurate and timely intelligence. This one-day course is designed to instruct operational commanders, operators and analysts on how to aggressively collect and use actionable intelligence in their counter terrorist (CT) operations. The same intelligence techniques can also be used against criminal activity. The workshop is not theoretical or academic, but presents a focused explanation of how a law enforcement agency can make intelligence a vital component of its successful operations in the future.

Intelligence and the Law
Instructor: W. George Jameson

This half-day course examines the legal and policy framework that governs the United States Intelligence Community. It presents the core legal authorities and restrictions — the Constitution, statutes, and Executive orders — and explores how and why they are applied to the conduct of U.S. intelligence today. Designed for a wide audience, the course reviews the history and evolution of intelligence law and policy and provides an in-depth look at selected laws that affect intelligence activities. Topics include:  Covert action; congressional oversight; privacy and civil liberties including  electronic surveillance, FISA, and other restrictions on the conduct of intelligence; protection of sources and methods, classification, and leaks; the role of the DNI; and the laws and relationships that govern the fight against terrorism.

Risk Awareness Intelligence
Instructors: Maria Velez de Berliner and Mark Lowenthal
This two-day course offers an analytical approach that explores how to identify, analyze and evaluate unexpected risks; risks that are ignored because they seem irrelevant or unlikely; or are not considered because of the crush of day-to-day analysis.  The course begins with a discussion of indications and warning and issues involved in conveying warning.  It then moves on to RAI, which is a concurrent, issue specific, focused and active approach to “defensive risk scouting.”  It helps identify, evaluate and manage the probable consequences of unknown, or overlooked, political, economic, technological, social, cultural, security and military risks likely to derail the best-laid strategy in private industry, or the best thought-out public policy. This course has been taught for multiple clients, including the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Joint Information Operations Warfare Command, and universities within the U.S. and overseas.