Professional, personal experience draw Intel prof to NATO forum

Mercyhurst University Intelligence Studies Assistant Professor Fred Hoffman, who is writing a book on Russian disinformation and whose expertise is sought after by national and international media, has been invited to present on the subject at the 2023 Intelligence & Security Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, Oct. 9-11.

Hoffman will address “Russsian Information Warfare and Active Measures” before attendees that include Georgian military intelligence officials and representatives of NATO countries. The conference represents a unique forum where Euro-Atlantic security issues are addressed by senior intelligence officials, policy-makers, and defense and security experts. This year’s focus is on increasing intelligence sharing to address the challenging security environment in the Black Sea region, which is bounded by Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.

“Fred’s expertise is invaluable to the Mercyhurst Intelligence Studies program,” said Lindy Smart, executive director of the Department of Intelligence Studies. “Fred experienced firsthand the Cold War and evolution of Russian Warfare and he continues to influence the conversation to this day. Fred’s expertise is a differentiator in the perspective he brings to this program, not only on Russia and the Cold War, but also the ever evolving, timely topic of disinformation.”

As a 30-year veteran of the intelligence community, Hoffman brings both professional and personal experience to the table. He has worked in 28 different countries as a human intelligence officer in the Army, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and other government entities. As an Army Reserve officer, he was branch-qualified in both information operations and psychological operations, working eight years in a unit that performed strategic deception. He lived in Berlin during the Cold War, where he said he experienced Russian disinformation firsthand.

On the personal front, Hoffman is married to the daughter of Soviet dissidents, who was born and  raised in Moscow. She imigrated to the U.S. in 1991 and the couple adopted a daughter from Ukraine in 2011.

The forum is sponsored by the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, which is the main vehicle for cooperation between Georgia and NATO. Launched in 2014, the package aims to strengthen Georgia's defense capabilities in line with NATO standards and help Georgia advance in its preparations for eventual NATO membership.