The Intelligence Cycle

Data retrieved from the Intelligence cycle is actionable intelligence. If the objective is criminal activities, actionable intelligence will pave a way for solutions. The use of actionable intelligence is necessary in today’s world of mass information growth. It embraces the ramification that it is important to implement counter measurements. Significant awareness about criminal intent is giving. It recognizes suspicious people associated with the crime.

Intelligence-led policing is a growing concept shaping the way modern law enforcement agencies function in both combating crime, and in performing investigations. As the dynamics of law enforcement adapt to this concept, the need for intelligence analysts grows. What used to be a minimal, even non-existent role in traditional policing, has grown into active participation at many agencies. In order to perform effectively in these updated roles, intelligence analysts must be: Capable of research and using analytical methodologies, to include those using technology. Analysts must be critical thinkers and are capable of interpreting data. Finally, analysts must be effective in communicating through product development and timely intelligence dissemination.

Thus, intelligence cycle process as an integral part of the Intelligence System has intrinsic weaknesses within the “process” itself due to the interplay of different pathologies within the system. It may emanate in every phase of the process from Planning and Direction, Collection, Processing, Analysis and Production, and Dissemination. Julian Richards in his book “The art and science of intelligence analysis” discussed the problems associated with intelligence cycle. The sources of failures in the intelligence arena: Cognitive and analytical processes undertaken by the analyst when they assess the material available to them, and the organisational structure and flow process of the intelligence machinery itself (Richards, 2010). In which

In looking at intelligence collection, HUMINT intelligence is still a viable collection discipline. Though the US possesses tremendous technical collection (COMINT, ELINT, IMINT, to name a few) there are limitations to technical collection. Against some targets, HUMINT will provide the most information.

Intelligence is all the information gathered by a country regarding political issues, both internal and external. Intelligence is collected through spies, special agents, internet data collection, pictures and many other sources.

Military intelligence extensions have been greatly successful while operating in different nations with the utilization of various types of intelligence: Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Strategic Intelligence (STRATINT), Signals Intelligence (SIG- INT), and Technical Intelligence (TECHINT). Essentially expressed, and diminished to the most reduced shared element, intelligence is data of the world about

Intelligence is often defined as accurate and timely information that assists our nation’s senior leadership in making knowledgeable decisions to prepare for and counter any developing threats against the security of the United States and its citizens. Intelligence is collected in response to requirements levied on the intelligence community by senior policy makers, the military, and law enforcement agencies. It plays a crucial role in our ability to detect and prevent threats against the United States.

Interesting post. The interest on open sources resulted in the creation of a new office dedicated to Open Source which is under the direction of the Director of National Intelligence, which is managed by the Central Intelligence Agency.1 Unfortunately, in previous years OSINT was viewed as unnecessary to national intelligence due to the low reliability of sources coming from “the misinformation, secret messages, disinformation, and nonsense content of OSINT sources”2 The intelligence community identified that OSINT when properly used is believed to be as crucial as any other intelligence collection platform.3 Together with other forms of intelligence collection, OSINT provides information about the adversaries and its intention.

The intelligence cycle consist of five different steps. They are Planning, Collection, Processing, Analysis, and Dissemination [1]. Each one of these steps are critical and are always in motion because they working in conjunction with each other. The planning step is where decisions are made concerning several important factors to include, what to collect on, what are the current issues, and how to utilize limited intelligence resources. The collection step is where assets are put in place to gather raw data. The collection phase can be from multiple types of collection and the data is from multiple sources. The Processing phase is where the information that is collected is turned into data that is useable via translation or decryption. The

Intelligence gathering provides the investigator with as much information as possible about the victim, the business, the suspect, and the alleged crime. All of that information will help the investigator to proceed to the next step of the investigation process.

The intelligence can be gathered from one of the five intelligence mediums or sources and can then be converted into usable intelligence that can be analyzed and presented as the final product to the consumer.(Carter, 2004) The collections process can utilize more than one of the five types during collection in order to remedy the possibility of collection failure. This could potentially happen on a collection target. For example QOM Nuclear facility in Iran is being targeted for collections on potential nuclear activity, issues could arise during the collection process. When a satellite photo is generated there may be atmospheric conditions that could interrupt the collection, so a UAV maybe used to supplement the satellite photograph. In these two cases, interference with the collection may result in unusable intelligence. Therefore, SIGINT and MASINT must be used to listen to communications on potential exploitable lines and MASINT must be used to receive measures of nuclear activity. (FAS.org,

Within the United States Intelligence Community (IC) there are a variety of sources and means with which intelligence information can be collected. Jeffrey T. Richelson, the author of The U.S. Intelligence Community states that ?Collection activity can take any of several overlapping forms: open source collection, clandestine collection, human source collection and interrogation, and technical collection.? 1 These areas that Richelson refers to can be broken down into the following disciplines: open source intelligence (OSINT), Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Imagery Intelligence (IMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT). OSINT is the collection of intelligence

Plan and identify sources. Due to many open source provide valuable intelligence collectors has to plan which source they are going to use and should be able to identify the quality of intelligence its credibility especially when it comes to the internet sources.

The close personal involvement of both the source and Human Intelligence agent make this method of collection susceptible to counterintelligence and deception. This can lead to questionable intelligence that in some cases can never be fully resolved (Logan 2010). The long development times are a result of necessary trust building that is required on both sides. The Human Intelligence agent must have a level of trust in the source as well as the information that they are providing. While the source must trust that the agent is real and going to provide what is promised. As an example the agent must prove they are not the FBI and the source must prove they are providing legitimate information. Technical intelligence collection can overcome some of Human Intelligence weakness; but, they have limitations of their

This method of intelligence e collection has advantage of easy accessibility of intelligence information. For instance, one can access bunch of information from browsing the World Wide Web or social media. CIA is responsible for collecting, producing, and promoting open source intelligence through its management of the DNI Open Source Center (OSC), (Central Intelligence Agency,