Intelligence

United States

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Definition
Intelligence is

"[t]he result of the process of systematic gathering, evaluation, and synthesis of raw data on individuals or activities suspected of being or known to be criminal in nature. Intelligence is information that has been analyzed to determine its meaning and relevance. Information is compiled, analyzed, and/or disseminated in an effort to anticipate, prevent, or monitor criminal activity. The product of the analysis of raw information related to crimes or crime patterns with respect to an identifiable person or group of persons in an effort to anticipate, prevent, or monitor possible criminal activity."

The International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA) states that intelligence is an analytic process:

"deriving meaning from fact. It is taking information collected in the course of an investigation, or from internal or external files, and arriving at something more than was evident before. This could be leads in a case, a more accurate view of a crime problem, a forecast of future crime levels, a hypothesis of who may have committed a crime or a strategy to prevent crime."

General


Intelligence is information collected by the U.S. Intelligence Community and includes a wide variety of human and technical means. Intelligence has also been defined as "knowledge, organization, and activity.” As defined in Executive Order 12333, as amended, the term includes foreign intelligence and counterintelligence.

Intelligence collection disciplines
Intelligence collection disciplines through which the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) collects intelligence are generally referred to as those which fall within national technical means or non-technical means. Technical means include signals intelligence (SIGINT), measurement and signatures intelligence (MASINT), and imagery intelligence (IMINT). Non-technical means include human intelligence (HUMINT) and open source intelligence (OSINT). Each of these collection disciplines is source-specific &mdash; that is, a technical platform or human source, generally managed by an agency or mission manager, collects intelligence that is used for national intelligence purposes.