The Mosaic Approach: How Foreign Intelligence Exploits Communication, Devices, and Digital Media
Foreign intelligence entities leverage a wide range of techniques to gather sensitive information, often combining fragments from multiple sources to create a comprehensive picture of their targets. This "mosaic approach" extends beyond insecure email communication to include device identifiers, geolocation data, and even metadata from images posted online. Here's how these methods work together to compromise security. Insecure Communication as a Starting Point Emails remain a primary target for foreign intelligence due to their frequent lack of robust security measures. Exploitation methods include intercepting unencrypted emails, where adversaries can capture sensitive details like project names, personnel roles, or operational timelines during transmission. Phishing attacks are another common method, where deceptive emails trick individuals into revealing credentials or downloading malicious software. Attackers may also compromise email servers throu...