Interview with SAHER

What was your most challenging contribution to the NOTIONES project?

As a security consultancy focusing upon introducing new technologies to law enforcement and intelligence agencies at a global level, the team at SAHER (Europe) are well versed in the operational challenges of tackling new and emerging security threats but there were many challenges we had to overcome to deliver key aspects of the NOTIONES project. Despite having members of the team with significant operational experience in policing organised crime and counter terrorism, one of our first tasks was to provide insights to inform the state-of-the-art of technological advancements exploitable by intelligence and security practitioners in the fields of HUman INTelligence (HUMINT) and related support activities.

This proved to be a real challenge given the confidential nature of such technologies that would potentially expose sensitive methods of working and tradecraft that agencies would not want to be disclosed. Moreover, such an analysis could also reveal vulnerabilities in current operations so this work had to be carried out with a high degree of confidentiality because we were, for example,  required to identify and examine technology tools for decision-making in this specialist area for the mitigation of cognitive biases and other limiting factors.

Our task included a full review of the technologies and tools used in the different intelligence phases and evaluated their utility in light of the challenges posed by them for intelligence and security applications. This work on HUMINT also formed part of a broader effort in exploring and reviewing the technologies and tools used in other intelligence collection disciplines, including image intelligence (IMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), open-source intelligence (OSINT), measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT).

What did you learn from examining aspects of human intelligence tools and technologies?

From the outset we were clear that our examination of HUMINT technologies would serve to advance the  mission of NOTIONES in supporting the needs of the security and intelligence services of the EU Member States, and associated countries such as the UK, for future security research programming.

Although our final reporting on HUMINT remains confidential, what I can say is that HUMINT is widely recognised amongst national security policymakers across Europe as the human collection of information through both overt, covert, or clandestine methodologies. HUMINT encapsulates a wide range of skills – from traditional diplomatic dialogue, to manipulation and deceit. At its core HUMINT requires the ability to recruit an individual to fulfil a specific intelligence requirement, which may extend to informing on, and infiltrating groups of interest to extract information of high value but at high risk. It is the covert, sensitive and secretive nature of HUMINT that makes the accessibility of tools, techniques, technologies, and tradecraft of this confidential intelligence gathering discipline very challenging for open and public review, revision and research.

Despite these challenges, we managed to assess and analyse a rich and diverse suite of tools, technologies, initiatives, and information sources which directly support the delivery of HUMINT, offering a suite of recommendations for future consideration and inclusion in future NOTIONES activities. This included the further engagement with identified research projects and initiatives, calling for a deeper examination of contemporary deception detection and cognitive bias tools, techniques and technologies for the potential application in the HUMINT discipline.

What other research activity did you undertake to contribute to the mission of NOTIONES?

To complement our work on HUMINT we investigated the role of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). The research we undertook on HUMINT naturally led us to examine how OSINT was being used not just to support HUMINT operations but more generally across security forces in Europe, from police and intelligence agencies. We had come to learn that the expansion of the internet had interwoven continents, cultures, and communities. We also recognised that the increasing digitalisation of society with open access to smart phones, online tools, platforms and social media was amplifying the important discipline of OSINT operations, now being further amplified by AI.  As the security landscape was becoming more complex and domain-agnostic, we understood that OSINT provided an invaluable avenue to access and collect information in addition to traditional intelligence gathering and investigative techniques, so it became an important theme to investigate further.

Our research into OSINT led to the publication of our first whitepaper of the NOTIONES project, where we examined what the next generation of OSINT tools and technologies would look like, and what impact this would have on other in the collection disciplines. This work sat neatly in the library of whitepapers published by NOTIONES partners which were designed to ensure the presentation of NOTIONES findings to a broad intelligence, security, and scientific community. The purpose of these whitepapers was to share knowledge and expertise from consortium partners on critical areas, seeking to address and highlight trends, challenges, and priorities within the security domain of key topics of interest to intelligence, law enforcement and security practitioners, policymakers, professionals, and security stakeholders. The NOTIONES whitepapers provides us at SAHER (Europe) with an opportunity to contribute to, and directly inform, the discourse on pressing security matters.  

What were the key findings from your examination of the next-generation of OSINT tools and technologies? 

We learned that the world was being reinvented by open sources and security forces have been part of a major shift towards harnessing the capacity of online information in the public domain to enrich their intelligence gathering activities. Our whitepaper concluded that such developments need to continue at pace and assessing the full impact of OSINT on the broader intelligence practices focusing upon the ability to better deliver safety and security to the public must be further explored. Moreover, we suggested that when the intelligence community is seeking new and innovative ways in which to cut costs, amplify output and digitalise operating practices through investment in the latest technology, the opportunities offered by OSINT must be considered as part of digital transformation programmes.

Our key takeaway from this research was that harnessing the power of OSINT presents a unique opportunity to keep one step ahead of adversaries, but the seamless integration with traditional intelligence practices also presents numerous challenges – now further complicated by the adoption of AI-driven OSINT tools. The interrogation of increasingly large data sets raises acute concerns for capacity, together with the ability to share and analyse large volumes of data.  The introduction of OSINT capabilities will require the rigorous review of existing intelligence models and associated processes to ensure practitioners have the latest tools and training provision to maximise the full potential of OSINT

Did you examine or explore any security issues in the NOTIONES project over the last 5 years that remains a pressing security concern at EU level today?

Yes, our work in examining OSINT and the availability of online information led us to focus on harmful content and with our expertise in counter terrorism matters brought forward an examination of how terrorists and extremists use the internet to recruit and radicalise users to their cause. At the same time we had been successful in securing a new research project under the EU’s Internal Security Fund to support smaller hosting services providers (HSPs) in preventing terrorist actors from disseminating terrorist content as defined in the EU’s Terrorist Content Online (TCO) regulation. As the coordinator of the Tech Against Terrorism Europe (TATE) project we were part of a consortium of partners that combined unique industry-leading expertise from private sector organisations and leading academic institutions actively engaged in tackling terrorist content online.

The aim of the project was to deliver long-term impacts of large-scale disruption of terrorist content online for priority host-service providers, delivering a sustainable foundation for practical support mechanisms while increasing awareness of the new EU TCO Regulation and requirements. As part of this work we co-authored a whitepaper for NOTIONES with TATE project partners at the Cyber Threats Research Centre of Swansea University in the UK. This whitepaper examined the response of the tech industry to online terrorist and violent extremist content being of direct interest and operational value to the multidisciplinary stakeholders operating across the counterterrorism and intelligence landscape.

What were the key lessons you learned from examining the terrorist use of the internet?

The whitepaper had three parts. The first part provided some contextual background, describing the diverse range of online services utilised by terrorists and extremists and the process by which propaganda is disseminated online. The second part detailed industry responses, and as well as referrals from users and law enforcement, it described the use of AI for proactive detection and collaborative, cross-platform initiatives. The third part described four issues that were examined in close detail including transparency, definitional clarity, the impact on those targeted, and, the use of online data for predictive.

Key issues that arose included that it was necessary for tech companies to improve and harmonise transparency reporting practices and to provide independent researchers with access to data. In addition, we concluded that there should be greater consensus around the meaning of terrorism which would serve to enhance collaborative initiatives and that key stakeholders, including governments, should be involved in this process. This paper also identified a number of other, wider issues including the prevalence of terrorist operated websites and concerns about law enforcement takedown and shutdown requests. The importance of respecting human rights was also highlighted, in which our research recommended improvements in transparency reporting, including access to data for independent researchers, and greater consensus around the meaning of key terms and auditing of the outcomes of algorithmic decision-making.

Reflecting on your participation in the NOTIONES project over the last 5 years, what have been your key achievements?

Delivering the NOTIONES Interview Insights series has been a real highlight, which has served as a strategic initiative to facilitate knowledge-sharing among leading professionals in intelligence, security, and policing. Conducted within the NOTIONES consortium, these interviews have provided valuable insights from experts across the international security intelligence landscape, addressing key challenges and operational considerations for law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and broader stakeholders.

Published regularly throughout the project’s duration, the Interview Insights not only served to spotlight critical issues but also offered professionals the opportunity to showcase their expertise and highlight their roles within the NOTIONES framework. Completed interviews were made accessible via the NOTIONES website and were further amplified through targeted social media engagement to maximise reach and visibility. What was really great about these interviews is that those featuring end-user agencies were published in Policing Insight, a leading global online platform for police and security professionals. With a significant target audience of NOTIONES stakeholders—including policymakers, private sector representatives, students, and researchers—the publication of interviews in Policing Insight from The Swedish Police Authority, the Estonia Police and Border Guard and the Police Service of Northrn Ireland to name just a few, ensured that key discussions within NOTIONES gained international exposure and contributed to the wider discourse on security intelligence.

What are the long-term sustainable benefits for SAHER (Europe) that your participation in NOTIONES has achieved?

The most important aspect for us at SAHER (Europe) has been the engagement with partners from across Europe and the strategic networks and alliances we have been able to develop. This close collaboration over the last five years has now led to a new research and innovation project we will be commencing in September. The IMAGINE (Integrating Methods, Awareness & Gamified Interventions for Next-gen prevention of youth crime) project has been funded by the European Commission Horizon Europe programme under the fight against crime and terrorism thematic area. This 3-year initiative seeks to shift Europe’s approach to preventing and countering youth crime from reactive responses to proactive, evidence-based and rights-compliant action. It fuses social sciences and technology within a co-creative methodology involving law enforcement agencies and importantly, includes partners from the NOTIONES project.

It is clear to us at SAHER (Europe) that our work within NOTIONES has been a key factor in being invited to join this new exciting project which is founded upon our research of digital intelligence collection practices and expertise gathered as part of exploring online harms within the NOTIONES project.  Moreover, the new IMAGINE project moves beyond the achievement of NOTIONES from the monitoring remit by translating insights into co-designed tools, training and multi-site pilots with measurable behaviour change. IMAGINE will build upon and exploits NOTIONES outputs to accelerate uptake, policy feedback and scalable frontline deployment.

In many ways the IMAGINE project for SAHER (Europe) will be one of the important legacies that NOTIONES has delivered for our organisation. Our participation in the IMAGINE project has been as a direct result of investing time and resource in actively developing cooperative and collaborative partnerships in NOTIONES as a coordination action,  extending our network to develop and share knowledge and expertise for the benefit of EU security.   

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