Listen to SOC ACE Researcher, Matthew Redhead with hosts of the Secure Line Podcast delve into the evolving landscape of state threats!

SOC ACE Researcher and RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, Matthew Redhead joins hosts of the Secure Line Podcast, Stephanie Carvin, Jessica Davis, and Leah West to delve into the evolving landscape of state threats. They explore how modern covert operations—from cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns to acts of sabotage—are reshaping national security, highlighting a significant shift from traditional espionage to more technologically driven, transnational activities. The podcast draws on insights from Matthew’s SOC ACE research paper, “Old Wine, New Bottles, The Challenge of State Threats,” and digs into into the blurred lines between espionage, sabotage, and foreign interference. He explains how state threats now encompass a broader spectrum of covert operations, including the outsourcing of targeted assassinations to criminal networks—a trend driven by factors such as (im)plausible deniability, cost efficiency, and the exploitation of technology to access denied areas and engage in transnational repression. The discussion further contrasts the legal frameworks and defensive measures employed by Western governments with the often reckless tactics of adversarial states.

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