Advanced Intelligence Analysis

We were requested to research, analyze, and develop an intelligence product that would identify vulnerabilities and provide recommendations for dealing with sensitive issues. The subject was a nation-state competitor viewed as next to impossible to find a way ahead against. After applying advanced analysis across a multi-layered view of the issue, our Subject Matter Experts (SME) identified potential vulnerabilities within several domains that could be utilized to influence the competitor, resulting in a successful effort to date for the U.S. government in addressing this issue.

OSINT/Deep/Dark Web Research

M20 Associates was approached to research threatening emails and social media messages our client had received. This situation was connected to a very high-profile case. Our research and analyst team used open-source research techniques, searching the Deep and Dark Web to identify connecting information related to the threats. Utilizing analytical techniques such as nodal and human factor analysis to analyze the data points and guide the research, we were able to determine the identity of the individual, provided an assessment of the degree of the potential threat, and made recommendations for security measures that could be taken to mitigate any future events.

Security/Threat Assessment

M20 was retained by a large non-profit organization looking to travel to a West African country for business quickly. The destination’s threat environment included Violent Extremist Organizations, normal crime, and “kidnap for ransom” operations. The organization knew little to nothing about the security environment or personal security within hostile environments. Our analysts conducted open-source research and utilized our regional operators to gain detailed, current “boots on the ground” intelligence to route reconnaissance-level information. We were able to provide an in-depth security and threat assessment and operational information, such as which flight they should take to arrive in the country at a specific time that would allow for travel to the work destination to be completed in a single day of daylight hours, safe-haven stops if an overnight stop was required, recommendations on communication devices, and arranging personal security between the airport and final destination as well as the duration of their trip. Based on the information provided and our recommendations, the organization postponed their trip until they could work with us to become better prepared to venture into a hostile environment. 

Reputation Management - Reputation Assurance

A well-respected celebrity, known primarily for wholesome roles in blockbuster movies, had come under attack for supposed “bad behavior”. While it started with a trickle of social media comments, the rumors and innuendo grew to a roar that could have hindered his ability to win roles in future films. His agent contacted M20 for help. After extensive research in the deep/dark web and social media, it was determined that there was, in fact, no “bad behavior,” instead the actor was the target of a negative cyber campaign being conducted by a nation-state-sponsored bad actor as retribution for relatively innocuous comments the actor had made about that nation-state several years prior. M20 provided his agent and outside counsel with a strategy to counteract the opposing campaign and resurrect the actor’s status.

Reputation Management - Security Threat Assessment

An ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individual and primary shareholder of a publicly traded company asked M20 to provide a 360˚ review of his family, friends, and business partners, with a particular emphasis on social media. Our researcher discovered that one of his business partners had inadvertently provided tradeable information to a third party. M20 provided recommendations to resolve the issue, and the business partner modified his/her behavior.

Reputation Management - Social Media - Based Character Assassination

A recent Ivy League graduate from a UHNW family was attacked online. M20 was called in to discover the attacker's identity and stop the attacker’s behavior. After extensive research of the complete information environment, M20 was able to discern that the attacker was, in fact, an ideological organization that targeted the victim to highlight its ideological agenda. Under the supervision of an attorney, M20 engaged with the ideological group and moved that group away from the victim. 

Security/Threat Assessment

M20 was retained by a large non-profit organization looking to travel to a West African country for business quickly. The destination’s threat environment included Violent Extremist Organizations, normal crime, and “kidnap for ransom” operations. The organization knew little to nothing about the security environment or personal security within hostile environments. Our analysts conducted open-source research and utilized our regional operators to gain detailed, current “boots on the ground” intelligence to route reconnaissance-level information. We were able to provide an in-depth security and threat assessment and operational information, such as which flight they should take to arrive in the country at a specific time that would allow for travel to the work destination to be completed in a single day of daylight hours, safe-haven stops if an overnight stop was required, recommendations on communication devices, and arranging personal security between the airport and final destination as well as the duration of their trip. Based on the information provided and our recommendations, the organization postponed their trip until they could work with us to become better prepared to venture into a hostile environment.