Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon cover art

Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon

Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon

By: Sue Gordon & Eric Koepp
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Welcome to “Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon” — the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.


Each week, Eric — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.


From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.


New episodes every Tuesday. Subscribe now.


© 2025 Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon
Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Ep. 14 Quantum Is Closing In, Data Everywhere, & Peace in Sight
    Oct 14 2025

    In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric put quantum computing on the table—what quantum computers are, why “harvest-now, decrypt-later” raises the stakes for your data, and what a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) world will look like. Plus: China’s threats to restrict rare-earth exports, partnership opportunities in AI-enabled open-source intelligence (OSINT), and the implications of the well deserved Nobel Peace Prize recognition for María Corina Machado of Venezuela.

    Programming note: After a two-week break following Sue’s surgery, catch the next UI Podcast release on October 28, 2025.

    Timestamps:

    01:20 Halloween Candy Choices

    04:30 China's Rare Earth Restriction

    08:37 The Rise of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)

    13:28 Counterintelligence in the Modern Era

    21:19 Nobel Peace Prize

    26:31 Quantum Computing Basics

    29:24 Quantum Computing and Cryptography

    39:38 Quantum Computing in Finance and Medicine

    41:26 Future of Quantum Computing

    44:07 What We’re Watching

    Article Links:

    OSINT OpED:

    Kahn Academy Quantum:

    Federal Reserve HNDL Paper:

    About the show:

    Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon is the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.

    Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.

    From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.

    Website and Feedback:
    Remember we’re here for you. Provide us feedback or suggest topics for next time: Feedback


    Send us a text

    New episodes every Tuesday. Follow or subscribe today.

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Ep. 13 The War Department’s Misfire
    Oct 7 2025

    In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric unpack Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s fiery Quantico address—why it was a tactical speech to a strategic audience, how it missed the mission, and what its message signals for women and talent across the country. They examine the tension between unity and conformity, leadership and loyalty, and the risk of mistaking discipline for devotion. Plus: SWIFT moves onto blockchain, Beijing’s use of organized crime to expand influence in Taiwan, Netanyahu’s rare apology to Qatar, and the real-world fallout of a U.S. government shutdown on small defense innovators.

    Timestamps:

    00:00 Introduction to Understandable Insights

    01:30 Super Bowl Halftime Show Discussion

    03:39 SWIFT's Blockchain Initiative

    06:28 Gangland Geopolitics in Taiwan

    13:15 Netanyahu's Apology to Qatar

    16:35 Government Shutdown on Defense Startups

    23:02 Shutdown Game: What's Funded?

    26:52 Military Leadership and Diversity

    46:25 What We're Watching

    About the show:

    Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon is the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.

    Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.

    From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.

    Website and Feedback:
    Remember we’re here for you. Provide us feedback or suggest topics for next time: Feedback

    Send us a text

    New episodes every Tuesday. Follow or subscribe today.

    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
  • Ep. 12 Shutdowns Aren’t a Light Switch: SIM Farms, Justice by Process, and Meeting Turkey’s Ur-Fascism
    Sep 30 2025

    In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss President Erdoğan’s visit to the White House and analyze Turkey, a necessary NATO ally, through Umberto Eco’s ‘ur-fascism’ lens. They examine the SIM farm operating near the U.N. and how cybercriminals are shifting from endpoints to the telecom infrastructure layer. Plus: quick updates on the real-world impacts of a U.S. government shutdown, former FBI Director James Comey’s indictment, the TikTok executive order, and a diplomatic letter from Venezuela.

    Timestamps

    00:00 Introduction to Understandable Insights

    03:07 Government Shutdown

    09:41 James Comey Indictment

    13:20 TikTok and National Security

    20:19 Venezuela’s Letter to the US

    26:56 Telecom Threat at the UN

    32:27 US-Turkey Relations: A Strategic Alliance

    35:53 Erdogan's Ur-Fascism Shift in Turkey

    44:00 Closing Thoughts and Current Events

    About the show:

    Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon is the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.

    Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.

    From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.

    Website and Feedback:
    Remember we’re here for you. Provide us feedback or suggest topics for next time: Feedback


    Send us a text

    New episodes every Tuesday. Follow or subscribe today.

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
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