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Understanding the SADRAT Social Engineering Process

Understanding the SADRAT Social Engineering Process

Cross post from the website 

The term SADRAT came into focus recently in 2024 when a former CIA officer, Andrew Bustamante made videos promoting his new company that included claims about his experience in the CIA, and in-depth sharing of unclassified information. His motivation is apparently to help CEOs improve their company's bottom lines - primarily through social engineering using the SADRAT process. A full 35 minute interview with Andrew is available on Insider's Youtube channel, in addition to appearances on numerous other Youtube channels, podcasts, and blogs.  

While SADRAT is not mentioned in the 1978 CIA list of intelligence terminology, US DoD Counterintelligence terminology, or officially declassified CIA records, it's safe to say that most internal policies are not included in those collections and it's likely that the revelations from Andrew are legitimate.In fact, another former CIA agent Ryan Hillsberg also shared the same CIA recipe for spy recruitment.  Let's take a look at Andrews's claims about the CIA's social engineering process used by actual operatives for extracting security intelligence out of their targets.

Here is a brief description of the SADRAT process:

  • S (Spot): Identifying potential intelligence assets who have access to valuable information or influence relevant to intelligence objectives, using methods like surveillance and background checks. This first stage maps nicely to the Lockheed Martin's "Reconnaissance" stage of the Cyber Kill Chain and the first stage of Penetration testing campaigns. 

  • A (Assess): Evaluating the suitability, usefulness, reliability, and willingness of identified individuals to cooperate, analyzing their motivations, vulnerabilities, and potential risks.

  • D (Develop): Building a relationship with potential assets to gain their trust and prepare them for recruitment, involving staged interactions and meetings.

  • R (Recruit): Formally bringing them on board to gather intelligence. This includes explicitly proposing to the candidate to work as an intelligence asset, negotiating terms, and establishing communication protocols.

  • A (Agent Handling): Managing the recruited asset to ensure effective information gathering and transmission, maintaining regular contact, and ensuring their security and motivation.

  • T (Terminate): Concluding the relationship with the asset when their usefulness has ended or the risk becomes too great, ensuring a safe and discreet end to their activities.

Upon inspection, SADRAT serves as a play-by-play strategy that a malicious insider might use in a campaign to identify and recruit disgruntled employees inside a company and recruit them to be an affiliate for a hostile nation-state or apex ransomware gang.  

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