Via DNI.gov:
Intelligence refers to information collected within or outside the U.S. that pertains to threats against our nation, its people, property, or interests. This includes matters related to the development, proliferation, or use of weapons of mass destruction. Intelligence provides unique insights that may not be available elsewhere, helping to warn of potential threats, assess policy options, profile foreign officials, and inform travelers about security risks. In the context of private security, intelligence gathering drives risk assessment and security strategies2. It involves acquiring, arranging, and evaluating data from diverse sources using sophisticated tools.
Via RecordedFuture:
- Information gathering is a systematic approach to collecting, organizing, and analyzing data that incorporates planning, quality control, and stakeholder involvement, and it’s fundamental for informed decision-making and comprehensive research.
- A systematic information gathering process involves clear objectives, appropriate data collection methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, observations), and thorough analysis and organization of data to identify trends and support decisions using techniques like linear regression and visualization tools.
- Tactical tools such as network mappers, packet sniffers, domain research tools, and advanced techniques like penetration testing, data mining, and search engines are crucial for in-depth information analysis, identifying vulnerabilities, and enhancing cybersecurity.
Intelligence assessment, or simply intel, is the development of behavior forecasts or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organisation, based on wide ranges of available overt and covert information (intelligence). Assessments develop in response to leadership declaration requirements to inform decision-making. Assessment may be executed on behalf of a state, military or commercial organisation with ranges of information sources available to each.
An intelligence assessment reviews available information and previous assessments for relevance and currency. Where there requires additional information, the analyst may direct some collection.
Intelligence studies is the academic field concerning intelligence assessment, especially relating to international relations and military science.