Among the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering Chile and Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com.
Straitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster’s dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. “As soon as that report runs, we’ll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,” says Friedman, a former political science professor. “And we’ll hear back from some of them.” Open-source spying does have its risk, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That’s where Straitford earns its keep.
Friedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm’s outsider status as the key to its success. Straitford briefs don’t sound like usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice. (396 words)
1. The emergence of the Net has __________.
A. received support from fans like Donovan B. remolded the intelligence services
C. restored many common pastimes D. revived spying as a profession
2. Donovan’s story is mentioned in the text to ________.
A. introduce the topic of online spying B. show how he fought for the U.S.
C. give an episode of the information war D. honor his unique services to the CIA
3. The phrase ‘making the biggest splash’ (line 1, paragraph 3) most probably means _________.
A. causing the biggest trouble B. exerting the greatest effort
C. achieving the greatest success D. enjoying the widest popularity
4. It can be learned from paragraph 4 that _________.
A. Straitford’s prediction about Ukraine has proved true B. Straitford guarantees the truthfulness of its information
C. Straitford’s business is characterized by unpredictability D. Straitford is able to provide fairly reliable information
5. Straitford is most proud of its __________.
A. official status B. nonconformist image |
