Bellingcat: An Intelligence Agency for the People with Eliot Higgins
Summary
Eliot Higgins (X; Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the work of Bellingcat. Eliot founded the open-source investigative website in 2014.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
- Bellingcat’s approach to “investigative journalism”
- The rise of OSINT as a tool of journalism
- Bellingcat’s relationship with intelligence agencies
- Case studies from Bellingcat’s past, including the Skripal Case and the MH17 flight investigation
Reflections
- Leading by example
- Accessibility and accountability
And much, much more …
Episode Notes
Here on SpyCast, we’ve made an active effort to bring you up to date and relevant conversations on what’s been called the “new frontier” of intelligence – OSINT. While the rise of open-source intelligence over the past decade has certainly been supported by the intelligence community, it has perhaps been most championed by independent and passionate actors in the private sector.
In this episode, we bring you a conversation with Eliot Higgins, founder of the groundbreaking investigative journalism website Bellingcat – An “intelligence agency for the people.” You’ve undoubtedly heard us talk about Bellingcat on the show before, but never like this. Straight from its founding father, tune in to learn more about the fascinating work of Bellingcat and the many journalists that contribute to it.
And…
You, too, can get involved with Bellingcat and open-source investigations! Bellingcat offers a number of workshops to help interested folks at all knowledge levels get started. Check out how you can learn more here!
Quotes of the Week
“When I first started doing this work ... I would present geolocation and stuff on stage. The reaction was like I was doing magic tricks, but my point was that. This isn't magic – This is something that you can do and recreate and understand.” - Eliot Higgins.
Resources
SURFACE SKIM
*SpyCasts*
- Digital Innovation and the Next Frontier of Intelligence with Jennifer Ewbank (2024)
- The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett (2024)
- U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius (2024)
- Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
- How to Get Into OSINT, R. Gill, SANS (2023) [Short article]
- The importance of Bellingcat, according to its founder, 60 Minutes, YouTube (2022) [2 min. video]
- A Brief History of Open Source Intelligence, C. Colquhoun, Bellingcat (2016) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVE
Books
- OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023)
- Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023)
- We Are Bellingcat: The Online Sleuths Solving Global Crimes, E. Higgins (Bloomsbury, 2022)
Articles
- Why Is Open Source Collection Critical in Intelligence Work? D. J. Kritz, American Public University (2023)
- Bellingcat’s Eliot Higgins Explains Why Ukraine Is Winning the Information War, K. Vick, TIME (2022)
- How Bellingcat became Russia's 'biggest nightmare,’ France 24 (2022)
- How Bellingcat uncovered Russia’s secret network of assassins, E. Higgins, Bellingcat (2021)
- Bellingcat Can Say What U.S. Intelligence Can’t, A. Mackinnon, Foreign Policy (2020)
- Identifying the Separatists Linked to the Downing of MH17, Bellingcat (2019)
Video
Primary Sources
- Map of Civilian Harm in Ukraine (2024)
- Death of Sinwar Report (2024)
- The IC OSINT Strategy 2024-2026 (2024)
- DoS Open Source Intelligence Strategy (2024)
- MH17 Investigation (2019)
- Skripal Report (2018)
*Wildcard Resource*
- The fable of Belling the Cat
- The inspiration behind Bellingcat’s name, the moral of this story is simple – It’s one thing to suggest a solution or idea, but it’s a whole other beast to actually take action.
