Former CIA Leader Said LinkedIn is Like a Candy Store to China – ClearanceJobs

Speak to any human intelligence officer about the human asset recruitment cycle and they will address how they spot, assess, and develop their targets of interest. They will also include the importance of knowing as much about your target as possible, thus giving credence to the adage, “knowledge is power.” It is in this light, that we dig into the court transcript of the case of convicted Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) officer, Yanjun Xu, and how LinkedIn was leveraged by the Xu and the MSS. Yanjun Xu is a convicted MSS intelligence officer, who is awaiting sentencing. At his trial, former chief of CIA’s counterintelligence, James Olson, provided expert commentary on the mechanics of the MSS in their effort to recruit individuals to provide confidential information to the Chinese government. LinkedIn – China’s candy store Olson was asked, “Is LinkedIn used in the spotting process for the MSS?” His one word response speaks volumes. He said, “Massively.” Olson was asked to expand his response. His response should be required reading for every FSO and CI officer who is providing cleared personnel with briefings on the need to be circumspect, obtuse, and downright pithy in social network engagements. Olson…
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