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A groundbreaking work in a field with precious little other material. Koren walks the reader through the basics of what human intelligence (HUMINT) is, as well as the basics concerning the types of online interactions he references--chiefly social media, online dating, and online gaming.
He uses supporting data to identify that those that would be potential targets of U.S. intelligence efforts for the most part are present online (North Korea making a notable exception). While the data itself is by now out of date, trends since its publication have only increased the relevant areas Koren highlighted, much as he anticipated when he wrote it. He shows that people share information online sometimes even in excess of what they do during face-to-face interpersonal relations. He also shows that the necessary steps for conducting HUMINT can be managed online.
He glosses over the problem of non-verbal communication too quickly. It is true people can deliberately and consciously use emojis or other non-verbal communication online, but true physical non-verbal responses in face-to-face settings tend to be unconscious and involuntary for most people most of the time, making them very useful in checking the veracity of the verbal communication. To his credit, Koren does indicate that similar unconsciously-provided data may still be harvested, from a gamer's play style, or person's choice of avatar, etc. So the specifics of HUMINT tradecraft may have to adapt to the new medium, but likely his thesis holds water.
His work could be improved by also considering a hybrid approach, i.e., augmenting traditional HUMINT with things learned online. Koren almost opens the door to the subject in his conclusion when he begins to discuss the "internet of things" and the connectivity of so very much, which of course provides revealing data about a potential target. The other area not covered was that of the permanent record pretty much all online activity leaves, meaning that an intelligence-focused online relationship could be spotted in real-time or even after the fact by a careful government or even organization with the skills and resources to search for tell-tale patterns, activities, connections, etc. Imagine trying to hide an intelligence approach to a key People's Republic of China (PRC) official over a PRC-operated and monitored social media or dating site; ditto for Russia or Iran, for instance. A thorough analysis of the potential for virtual HUMINT is not complete without a solid look at the risks as well, which were unfortunately completely absent from Koren's work.
No matter its faults, Koren opened the door to an important and timely topic and one can look forward to others building on the start he provided. As a master's thesis, it is not a pleasure read, but a thoughtful piece that those interested in the subject ought to peruse. Available to the public for free at https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/....