Intelligence involves collecting and analyzing information to benefit policymakers, traditionally concerning military threats but now also political, economic, and social issues. It has four main functions: collection of data through technical and human sources; analysis to make sense of collected information and produce intelligence products; counterintelligence to protect secrets; and covert action to influence others secretly. While intelligence was historically focused on opposing states, more countries now share intelligence to address common challenges like terrorism.

2. Intelligence
Definition. Functions.
Intelligence vs. Democracy.

3. Intelligence
 Intelligence is the process of collecting and
analyzing information for the benefit of
policymakers.
 Traditional concern: intentions and
capabilities of opponents that can threaten a
country’s military security.
 Newer concerns: political, economic, and
social data about other countries.
 Permanent intelligence agencies: UK (1909),
Germany (1913), Russia (1917), France (1935),
US (1947).

4. Functions of Intelligence
• Four functions:
1. Collection
2. Analysis
3. Counterintelligence
4. Covert Action

5. Collection
• Collection: gathering of information from
whatever sources.
• Two methods:
1. TECHINT: SIGINT, ELINT, PHOINT,
cryptanalysis, TELINT.
2. HUMINT: agents, double agents, sleepers,
moles.

6. Analysis
• Analysis: making sense of what is collected.
• The intelligence product that goes to the
policymakers.
• Major products:
– Current intelligence.
– Analytical intelligence.
– Estimative (predictive) intelligence.

7. Counterintelligence
• Counterintelligence: protecting state secrets
from outsiders who are trying to learn them,
i.e., to discover hostile foreign intelligence
operations and destroy their effectiveness.
• Methods of counterintelligence:
– Counterespionage
– Countersabotage
– Countersubversion

8. Covert Action
• Covert action: an effort to influence a
foreign government or group without the
hand of the actor being evident.
• Methods:
Bribery Defection
Assassination Disinformation
Kidnapping Sabotage
Coup d’etat Blackmail

9. Intelligence Activities and
International Society
• Intelligence and democracy. Are they
compatible?
• The end of Cold War meant that intelligence
activities can turn away from its negative past.
• More states are willing to gather and share
intelligence in the face of newer challenges,
e.g., terrorism.
• Other sectors, especially business, are
increasingly using former intelligence analyst in
their business intelligence section/department.