dee takos
06 May 2026
Former NSA and CIA analyst Alma Katsu joins us to discuss her career in intelligence, from the analog era of NSA and early hacking programs to CIA work on social media, disinformation, and emerging technology. She also breaks down how real intelligence work differs from Hollywood spy fiction, and how her experiences shaped novels like Black Vault and her upcoming book on Havana Syndrome. This episode also digs into Iraq War planning, the failure of Phase Four strategy, AI, propaganda, tech regulation, and the challenges women faced inside the intelligence community. Check out Alma's books here:⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alma-Katsu/author/B004FRX5WO?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1778022974&sr=8-3&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=7dde9421-b9aa-439f-b0ce-7413359f4d42 GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off! For ad free video and audio and access to live streams and Eyes On Geopolitics...JOIN OUR PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse To help support the show and for all bonus content including: -live shows and asking guest questions -ad free audio and video -early access to shows -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Support the show here:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ PRE ORDER JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured __________________________________ Jack Murphy's new book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/ —————————————————————— Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️ https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse Social Media: ⬇️ The Team House Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link The Team House Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod Jack’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link Jack’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21 Dave’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dave_parke?s=21 Team House Discord: ⬇️ https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6 "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 — Start 01:34 — Writing spy fiction after a career at NSA and CIA 05:02 — Real spies, “Slow Horses,” and the myth of James Bond 07:15 — From aspiring writer to accidentally joining NSA 10:56 — Starting as an NSA analyst and learning the intelligence world 13:51 — NSA before computers: analog intel, index cards, and the digital transition 16:53 — Inside one of NSA’s first hacking teams 22:13 — Building the CIA’s early social media intelligence program 31:08 — AI, propaganda, and the collapse of trust in open-source information 39:44 — Iraq War planning and the failure of Phase Four strategy 54:23 — Leaving NSA for CIA after the Patriot Act era 01:00:02 — Secret backchannels, Havana Syndrome, and real incidents behind the novels 01:21:19 — CIA publishing battles, pre-publication review, and returning to NSA 01:36:34 — Substack, viewer questions, NSA vs. CIA culture, and final thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.
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