Jan 28, 2022
Charity Wright is a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst with over
15 years of experience at the US Army and the National Security
Agency, where she translated Mandarin Chinese. Charity now
specializes in dark web cyber threat intelligence,
counter-disinformation, and strategic intelligence at Recorded
Future. Her analysis has provided deep insights into a variety of
incidents, activities and strategic moves by well resourced
adversaries, primarily actors operating in China.
In July 2021 she led production of a report on China’s digital
colonialism, surfacing aspects of espionage, surveillance and
manipulation campaigns that were staggering in scope. China’s
Digital Silk Road (DSR) initiative, announced in 2015, is an
expansive global data infrastructure that does far more than serve
users. It has been proven to have a dark side that includes
exporting surveillance technologies to dictators and authoritarian
regimes throughout the developing world, in some cases trading
technology for access to sensitive user data and facial recognition
intelligence. Domestically, China uses this type of technology to
assert authority over its citizens, censor the media, quell
protests, and systematically oppress religious minorities. Now,
over 80 countries are enabled to do the same with Chinese
surveillance technology.
In this OODAcast we examine Charity’s approach to analysis and
review some of the key elements of her reporting on China’s Digital
Silk Road. As we do we also examine ways that open societies can
work together to help mitigate these threats.
We also examine Charity’s views on other global cyber threats
and seek insights that can help any intelligence analyst continue
to improve their craft.
Additional Resources:
