Collection Disciplines

Question 1

HUMINT

Answer 1

• Intel collected from human sources
• Includes: overt data collected by diplomats, debriefings of foreign nationals and US citizens who travel abroad, and direct observation

Question 2

HUMINT Strengths2

Answer 2

• Insight into plans and intentions

- Relatively inexpensive

Question 3

HUMINT Weaknesses3

Answer 3

• Risks lives and political fallout
• Requires time to acquire and validate sources
• Problems of dangles, false feeds, and double agents

Question 4

OSINT

Answer 4

• Intel from open sources
• Publicly available information appearing in print, electronic forms, radio, television, newspapers, journals, the Internet

Question 5

OSINT Strengths2

Answer 5

• Readily available

- Usefulness as place to start all collection

Question 6

OSINT Weaknesses3

Answer 6

• Large volume
• Credibility of sources
• Less likely to offer insights available from clandestine INTS

Question 7

GEOINT

Answer 7

Information describing, visually depicting, and accurately locating physical features and human activities on Earth

• Imagery, analyses, maps, and navigation charts
• IMINT

Question 8

GEOINT Strengths4

Answer 8

• Graphic and compelling
• Familiar to policymakers
• Ready availability of some targets
• Can be done remotely

Question 9

GEOINT Weaknesses5

Answer 9

• Requires interpretation
• Static snapshot
• Problems of Wx, spoofing, D&D
• Expensive
• Overly compelling

Question 10

SIGINT

Answer 10

Signals Intel; is information gathered from data transmissions,
- COMINT, ELINT, FISINT

Question 11

SIGINT Strengths4

Answer 11

• Insight to plans, intentions
• Voluminous material
• Military targets tend to communicate in regular patterns
• Can be done remotely

Question 12

SIGINT Weaknesses4

Answer 12

• Signals may be encrypted or encoded
• Voluminous material
• May use silence, secure lines, spoofing
• Expensive

Question 13

MASINT

Answer 13

Measurement and Signature Intel; information produced by quantitative and qualitative analysis of physical attributes of targets and event in order to characterize and identify them

Question 14

MASINT Strengths2

Answer 14

• Extremely useful for issues such as proliferation

- Can be done remotely

Question 15

MASINT Weaknesses3

Answer 15

• Expensive
• Little understood by most users
• Requires extensive processing and exploitation

Question 16

FININT

Answer 16

Financial Intelligence
- Gathering of information about the financial affairs of entities of interest, to understand their nature and predict their intentions

Question 17

FININT Strengths3

Answer 17

• Extremely useful for issues such as counterterrorism and proliferation
• Can reveal covert relationships
• Can be done remotely

Question 18

FININT Weaknesses3

Answer 18

• Often depends on fragile sources of information
• Requires time for actions to be effective
• Effects implemented by commercial entities