Studies in Intelligence: Blog Edition™

There are many words to describe intelligence collection, and valuable is no expection. However, what factors determine whether intelligence, its source, or its collection methods are of value? There are several factors indicative of such a status. Primarily, relevance and timeliness are important. Time sensitivity in intelligence is no matter to be taken lightly. When intelligence does not meet standards of relevance to the customer's request and timeliness, it would be fair to assume that it does not hold a great amount of value. In addition, the intelligence needs to prove to be accurate. A lack of accuracy to the operation can not only reflect poorly on the collection method, the source itself (Benny, 2023).    Another essential factor to determine value is a lack of biases in the material collection. With this lack of bias, it requires an outlook of inherent objectivity. Both of these will guarantee that any material gathered and processed is undistorted and free from an...

In the field of intelligence collection exists several different intelligence types. All used for different purposes, each category plays a crucial role in both Homeland Defense and Homeland Security, guaranteeing the continuing resources needed to keep the United States secure for all who reside in it. The two intelligence types this post will compare are tactical intelligence and operations intelligence.     Tactical Intelligence    Tactical intelligence is an event-driven category reponsible for an assessment of the respective threat and analyzing capabilities of said threat and how it can potentially affect the country. In addition to capabilities and resources at the disposal of the threat, it also works to analyze and determine the intent of an adversary. This kind of intelligence can allow for the United States to plan and requisition the necessary resources to respond appropriately (Benny, 2023).     Operations Intelligence    Operations...

As society advances in art, science, and technology, as does our country's capabilities when it comes to matters of intelligence. As time goes on, it is evident that an increasing amount of resources will lend themselves to intelligence efforts.    The recent emergence of artificial intelligence, for example, has proven to be both an asset and a potential threat. This tool will require the intelligence community to rework its approach to public engagement, as opposed to the typical approach which panders to professionals with security clearance; instead, being that AI is a tool at the disposal of the public, the intelligence community will have to take the public into account when it comes to communication and frameworks regarding AI-based intelligence. This also will require an easier path to STEM employment within the government, and continued work with education facilities and the private sector working towards technological advances with AI (Zegart, 2021). AI will evident...

A fact unbeknownst to many, the Russian Federation has an intelligence community not lacking in resources or ability of staff. In fact, there are two prevalent intelligence organizations in Russia, both of which play a crucial role in intelligence for the country.    The first one is the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (Benny, 2023). This organization is responsible for intelligence which concerns external threats and international relations. The organization was founded in 1991, with the intention of replacing the KGB following the fall of the Soviet Union. The organization's mission concerns international espionage being in favor of the Russian Federation and its alliances (Benny, 2023).     The second organization, playing an essential role in internal affairs of Russia, is the Federal Security Service. This service was founded in 1995, and is responsible for investigations of violations of federal law, counterterrorism operations, border s...

  Image: americansecuritytoday.com, 2017      The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has a special role in the intelligence community: it leads it! Established with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the organization was tasked with the purpose of uniting and directing the Intelligence Community following the events of 9/11  (Benny, 2023) . The organization acts as critical oversight in United States intelligence operations, and the Director himself, or herself, is approved by the Senate. The Director of National Intelligence already has a strategic plan in the event of a war with the ever-growing threat actors, such as, for example, China. ODNI plans to utilize "whole-of-government" counterintelligence strategies in order to protect different essential elements of how the country functions  (ODNI, 2020) . A risk assessment will be executed, and senior leadership in each organization will meet in order to estab...

 The FBI defines espionage as:     whoever knowingly performs targeting or acquisition of trade secrets, to knowingly benefit any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent (Benny, 2022).     With that in mind, it provides a contextual foundation for the United States Espionage Acts of 1917. In it's general simplicity, it limited dissent to the war. Its inherent intention was to protect the United States by means of restricting the transfer of information that can interfere with the operations of the United States Armed Forces (Benny, 2022). Interestingly enough, it was also a criminal offense to obstruct enlistment or recruitment into the Armed Forces. This meant that local postmasters were under orders to report any suspicious activity in the mail system to the Wilson Administration. After the initial establishment, Title I was expanded in June of 1918 in order to limit speech that would be critical of the war with the passage of t...