Intelligence Analysis 101 - Intelligence, Information and Data… aren’t they all the same?
Three words often used incorrectly and interchangeably — all with their own specific meaning, similar in nature but when used in the wrong context the impact on operations can be significant. When this happens, it can lead to intelligence failures that have historical consequences, impacting an organisation or country for decades to come (foreign policy 2012)
In simple terms Data is usually a collection of facts, often unstructured and without form, Information is understanding those facts and placing them in context of the task (or operation), whereas Intelligence is the analysis of several streams of verified information resulting in an actionable product. The mechanics of creating operational Intelligence is done through a process called the Intelligence Cycle — a cyclical system that reviews, tests and analyses information and data streams, ultimately creating the ‘intelligence product’.
The Intelligence Cycle itself is made up of four elements; Direction, Collection, Analysis and Dissemination.
· Direction is the ‘start’ of the intelligence cycle. This phase informs the rest of the process, and should define the information gap, and intelligence requirement for the requester.
· Collection involves tasking available Intelligence Sources (or Agencies) to collect the required information in order to satisfy the intelligence requirement.
· The Analysis phase involves the evaluation of all collected information, it is at this point that all information is tested, reviewed and analysed.
· The final phase, Dissemination is when the requester receives delivery of the completed product. More often than not, at this point the requester may have further additional requirements — the process then begins again
Critical to understanding operational intelligence is appreciating the fact that the process is not static, it is constantly developing, evolving and being redefined as new and previously unknown information and data is analysed — in turn leading to new and updated products. For security professionals one of the challenges faced is reinforcing the point with stakeholders that intelligence does not ‘tell you what to do’, it merely provides product that allows for informed decisions to be made.
(https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/01/03/the-ten-biggest-american-intelligence-failures/)
*This post forms part of a series of articles on Intelligence, Security, Analysis and Surveillance.