The Network Fusion Cell: Developing the Capability
OBJ ZAMBEZI
SUBJECT DESCRIPTION:
Alf AHLQUIST is an IT specialist formerly employed in Arnland’s Government.
AHLQUIST has also been identified with the Bothnian Signal Brigade and was
involved in the formation of the Bothnian Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE).
SUBJECT SIGNIFICANCE/FUNCTION:
According to reporting, AHLQUIST is the mastermind behind the Ninja Strike Force
(NSF), a black market malware organisation he joined after being sacked for
stealing Kalmar-owned county administration data while working as a senior
software developer for the Kalmar Software Company. Further reporting identifies
AHLQUIST as a contact of Thomas RYER and Catja KRAFTT, both senior
members of the terrorist Arnland Patriotic Front (APF) . NSF hackers are now paid
and directed by the APF. Unconfirmed reporting suggests that AHLQUIST remains
contacts with several former CCoE colleagues. NSF also has links to the Red
Hackers Union, a slightly less extreme cyber organisation; both are believed to
have been behind damaging cyber attacks within and outside the Skolkan area.
ASSESSMENT:
The detention of AHLQUIST will have a significant negative impact on the ability of
the NSF and, by default, the APF to conduct cyber attacks.
RECOMMENDED EFFECT:
Detain for exploitation
SUPPORTED OPLAN DC/E: DC 2, 3
ADDITIONAL REMARKS/ANALYST COMMENTS:
NSF is known to refer to the ‘Dune’ sci-fi series when writing malware code.
CDE/DELIVERY (InfoOps):
TBD
Recent
LOCINT
JPTL
WEAPONEERING:
TBD
DELIVERY CONSTRAINTS:
IAW CDE
PoL
Valid
Trigger
Priority
Recent
Reporting
REGION:
ARN
LOCATION: 33 VWC 82547 81116
56 40 01.65N 01620 47.82E
Figure 3: An example of an exercise scenario Integrated Targeting Board (ITB) product
are briefed to Joint Fires and Influence Branch
at the Joint Targeting Working Group and
aligned with Joint Force Commander’s priori-
ties. Following the Integrated Targeting Board
and under direction from Chief Joint Fires and
Influence, the Influence Activities Board and
the Daily Effects Coordination Board prioritise,
resource and synchronise the full spectrum of
JFI activities, to achieve the desired effects.
NFC and JFIB continue to work closely togeth-
er to constantly refine and update the target
packs so that they can be used to carry out
the desired activity at the most appropriate
time, whether to conduct a key leader engage-
ment or a kinetic strike.
NFC Support to G2 Routine
Activity
Other tasks that the NFC routinely delivers in-
clude preparation of short thematic papers for
the COM or COS and also intelligence prepara-
tion for Command Group key leader engage-
ment.
In barracks, the NFC studies and develops an
understanding of the adversaries that pose
the greatest threat to NATO member coun-
tries. It also maintains regular contact with
other NATO and UK military and civilian intel-
ligence agencies, wider UK Defence organi-
sations and academia to foster working part-
nerships that increase the ARRC’s access to
valuable intelligence. Such relationships also
aid the ARRC’s reputation as a valuable intelli-
gence provider.
HNAT Training in NATO About the author:
Under direction from NATO Allied Command
Training, the Human Intelligence Centre of
Excellence in Romania now delivers the Hu-
man Network and Support to Targeting (HNAT)
course twice yearly. The course is designed
to assist NRDCs (and other NATO organisa-
tions with intelligence structures) to train and
develop an HNAT capability for themselves.
Students must be experienced intelligence
analysts or targeteers. The first full course
was delivered in February 2016 and the next
course runs in late 2016. Having been involved
in writing then validating the pilot course in
2015, HQ ARRC NFC have now been asked to
assist with delivery of future courses. Major Charles Smith, British Army, has
served in the Balkans, Northern Ireland,
Iraq and Afghanistan. He holds a BSc in
International Politics. He has served in
HQ ARRC as SO2 Network Fusion since
August 2015.
The Future
Until July 2016, HQ ARRC remains on stand-
by to deploy as the NATO JTFHQ. In 2017,
the HQ will reconfigure to form the Enhanced
NATO Response Force (ENRF) as a Land Com-
ponent Command HQ. Whatever the ARRC’s
role and wherever it may deploy there will be a
requirement to understand complex networks,
whether adversary command and control, in-
surgent, criminal, and even the host nation
and local human terrain. The NFC can deliver
this understanding and will identify the critical
nodes within those networks against which
pressure can be applied to achieve the COM’s
desired outcomes.
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