IWU Intelligence and Natl. Secur. Midterm
medium earth orbit
A satellite is considered to be in medium earth orbit (MEO) at altitudes between approximately 450 and 10,000 miles above the Earth's surface. Between these altitudes the satellite will have an orbital period from 110 min. - 12 hours. This is the typical orbit of all Global Positioning Satellites (GPS.)
tyranny of the ad hocs
Not every ad hoc merits higher priorities
cryptographers
People who break codes and decipher coded messages.
need to know
Requirement of access to data for a clearly defined purpose
indication and warning
The use of traffic analysis to provide indication of image imminent danger and the ability to warn consumers and plan ahead
unifying intelligence strategy
a NIM must create a UIS for their portfolio to integrate relevant collection & analysis.
risk vs. take
a common issue that can arise in SIGINT, especially in COMINT, is the need to consider the value of the intelligence that is going to be collected against the risk of discovery - either in political terms or in the collection technology that may then be revealed to another nation.
clientism
a flaw that occurs when analysts becomes so immersed in their subjects (usually after working on an issue for too long) that they lose their ability to view issues with the necessary criticality.
polygraph
a machine that writes down many different changes in the body while the person answers questions; a lie detector test
swarm ball
a major problem that occurs in managing collection. Refers to the tendency of all collectors or collection agencies to collect on an issue that is deemed to be important, whether or not they bring anything useful to the table or can offer an appropriate type of collection
third party rule
a nation receiving foreign liaison intelligence will not share it with a third party without permission
developmental
a potential source who is being brought along, largely though repeated contacts and conversations to assess his or her value and susceptibilities
national technical means
a variety of satellites and other technical collectors
geofence
a virtual barrier to prevent drone flights within a certain area vis GPS. radio frequencies, or other technologies
supplementals
a way to take care of agreed on needs without making long-term budget committees. Must be approved by congress like all other bills
sleeper agents
agents sent to another nation to assume normal lives who then become active agents at some time later
foreign liaison
allied or friendly services or even services that are simply useful because of their location that offer several important advantages.
pattern of life
also known as activity based intelligence. means intelligence collection based on observed behaviors that are more likely to indicate that an activity of interest is taking place in that location.
double agents
an agent who pretends to act as a spy for one country or organization while in fact acting on behalf of an enemy.
compartmented
an employee being accorded the privilege of a clearance does not automatically ger access to all of the intelligence information available
mean mission duration
an engineering estimate (sometimes lowballed) of a satellite's useful life
source
an individual with access to sensitive information of interest to an intelligence service, and who has agreed to provide the information.
Analytic penetration
an intellectual means of trying to overcome a dearth of intelligence sources. means thinking longer and harder about the issue, perhaps making suppositions of what is most likely, and perhaps laying out a rang of outcomes based on a set of reasonable assumptions
assessments
analytical reports in Australia and Britain.
analysis and production
analyzing raw intelligence and then producing it to policymakers
national intelligence priorities framework
apart of the DNI's office that continues to provide another means by which to assess performance beyond setting properties
mirror imaging
assuming that other states or individuals will act just the way a particular country or person does, which undermines analysis
non-official cover
avoids any overt connection between the officer and his or her government but can make it more difficult to keep in contact. Need full-time job that explains their presence.
competitive analysis
based on the belief that by having analysts in several agencies with different backgrounds and perspectives work on the same issues, parochial views more likely will be countered- if not weeded out- and more reliable proximate reality is more likely to be achieved
multi-int
bringing together different types of technical collection, most often imagery and signals
sources and methods
classification is referred to as protection. It is one of the primary concerns of the entire intelligence community and a task specifically assigned by law to the director of national intelligence.
denied areas
closed societies
single-source analyst
collection analysts that must wade through the material to find intelligence that is really needed
spies
collection platforms
wheat v. chaff
collectors sweep up a great deal of information, within which may be the intelligence being sought
artificial intelligence
computing technique most useful when dealing with large sets of data
steganography
concealed writing, a technique that is centuries old. The message itself is hidden so its existence is uncertain at best.
competitive analysis
concept of having multiple intelligence agencies with different backgrounds and perspectives work on the same issue.
processing and exploitation
conversion of collected information into forms suitable to the analysis and production of intelligence
counterespionage
countering penetrations of one's service
five eyes
countries that have a common heritage and share a great amount of intelligence: Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
dissemination
decisions that must be made about how widely intelligence should be distributed and how urgently it should be passed or flagged for the policy maker's attention
mole
deeply hidden spy
render
delivering suspected terrorists overseas to a third country for incarceration and interrogation
damage assessment
determines what intelligence has been compromised
crosswalks
efforts to coordinate programs and to make difficult choices between programs. can take place at program level or below and can go as high as the DNI and the secretary of defense
estimates
establish benchmarks that can be reviewed more easily than a memo that is not likely to be remembered unless the issue is extremely important, and the shift is dramatic; intelligence products that are written on a recurring basis.
counterintelligence poly
foreign contacts, handling of classified information
asset validation system
gaining their confidence and assessing their weaknesses and susceptibility to be recruited.
espionage
have end-to-end processes from collection through dissemination
noise vs. signals
how Roberta Wohlstetter refers to the wheat v chaff problem, noting that signals one wishes to receive and to know are often embedded in a great deal of surrounding noise
big CI
if one is able to answer the question, "was this tied to some specific need or tasking or was it simply opportunistic", it will reveal the nature of the penetration and the goals of the nation running the spy. (strategic implications)
classified national security information
include a risk-management strategy for classification decisions to avoid automatic over-classification, and making declassification and downgrading an integral part of the strategy
value-added intelligence
includes the timelessness of intelligence products, the ability of the community to tailor products to specific policy makers' needs, and the objectivity of analysis.
counterintelligence
information gathered and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage and other activities carried out by foreign states or non-state actors. is both analytical and operational.
intelligence
information that related to national security that meets the stated or understood needs of policy makers and has been collected, processed, and focused to meet governmental needs.
analyst bias
intelligence analysts can and often do have strong personal views about the issues they are covering, their opinions have no place in intelligence products.
activity-based intelligence
intelligence collection based on observed behaviors that are more likely to indicate that an activity of interest is taking place in that location
global coverage
intelligence officers acknowledged requirements to cover any and all issues. can be dangerous and misleading.
linear thinking
is a problem because analysts need to be constantly on the watch for discontinuities for nonlinear events.
indications and warnings
is one of the most important roles of intelligence, giving policy makers advance warning of significant, usually military events
monitoring
keeping track of (soviet) activities
bigot lists
lists of people with access to certain categories of intelligence, but these are often rather lengthy than exclusive
long-term intelligence
longer range analyses that look beyond current demands
negation search
looking at past imagery to determine when an activity commenced
deputies committee
made up of deputies of the PC members and has a similar function, working on issues before the PC considers them. Important for insights it gives intelligence officials about the possible courses of policy being considered.
disinformation
manipulating content, especially on social media
dangles
means of entrapment used for a number of purposes, including identifying hostile intelligence personnel or gaining insights into the intelligence requirements or methods of hostile service.
"about" collection
messages taken from the Internet that may not be going to or from a specific target but contain key selectors (search terms) in the body. Also known as upstream collection
pitch
method of persuasion used in recruiting
quantum cryptography
micius communications satellites, which sends messages by light (photons) rather than radio waves. is much more difficult to intercept.
constellation
micro-satellites that are launched into space and can piggyback on other launch vehicles. They are normally launches in groups.
traffic analysis
monitoring changes in communications, has more to do with the volume and pattern of communications than the content of them. now called geospatial metadata analysis, and emphasizes the importance of pinpointing the location of the signal as a means of attacking the sender or recipient is needed.
flock
multi-satellite constellations,
analytical stovepipes
occurs when analysts develop patterns after consistently serving a specific customer regarding an issue and tailoring of intelligence overshadows objective reporting
responsibility to provide
officers and agencies now would be evaluated by the degree to which they actively seek to share intelligence
official cover
officers that hold another governmental job, usually posted a the embassy. makes it easier for agent to maintain contact with his or her superiors bur raises the risk of being suspected as an agent.
kessler syndrome
orbits have become so crowded that there are increasing concerns about satellites hitting smaller pieces of debris or one another, and possibly creating a cascade or chain reaction effect where each collision creates more debris and the likelihood of further collisions and so son
lifestyle poly
personal behavior
requirements
policy issues or areas to which intelligence is expected to make a contribution, as well as decisions about which of these issues has priority over the others. may also mean specifying the collection of certain types of intelligence
consumption
policy makers receiving intelligence in the form of a written response or oral briefings
opportunity analysis
policymakers want to be actors, not reactors. They want analysis that will help them achieve goals and not just prevent bad things from happening.
collection
production of unfinished intelligence
graymail
prosecuting intelligence officers for spying was a major concern for the intelligence agencies, which feared that accused spies would threaten to reveal classified information in open court as a means of avoiding prosecution.
processing and exploitation
raw information must undergo this before it can be regarded as intelligence & given to analysis.
content analysis
reading the messages and analyzing what they mean
full motion video
refers to both the long-duration, close in videos that can be collected by UAVs and to capabilities designed to derive as much intelligence as possible from this video
layering
refers to the judgements or assumptions made in one analysis as the factual basis for judgements in another analysis without also carrying over the uncertainties that may be involved.
current intelligence
reports and analysis on issues that may not extend more than a week or two into the future, is the mainstay of the intelligence community, the product most often requested and seen by policy makers
unmasking
revealing the identity of U.S. persons in surveillance reporting by requesting, in writing, for the person's identity to be revealed for specific intelligence purposes, such as to understand the reporting better.
low earth orbit
satellite orbit that ranges from roughly 200 miles to nearly 1,000 miles from earth. Is used by imagery satellites to allow a more detailed view of earth
geosynchronous orbit
satellite that stay in the same spot on earth at all times. The U.S. uses GEO for early warning satellites over both oceans
sun-synchronous orbit
satellites moving in harmony with earth's rotation so it always remains where there is daylight, however this produces and easily tracked orbit. Is better for commercial satellites than for national imagery satellites
highly elliptical orbit
satellites that come close to earth over the southern hemisphere then much father away form earth over the northern hemisphere. in this patterns the satellite orbits earth twice a day
principals committee
senior policy coordinating body of the NSC structure consisting of the assistant to the president for national security affairs, sometimes the vice president, secretaries of state and defense, the DNI, usually the DCIA, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
walk-ins
sources volunteers
anti-satellite weapons
space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic or tactical purposes
denied targets
target areas to which one does not have ready access
self-reveal
targets make themselves available
verification
the ability to ascertain whether treaty obligations were being met. consists of policy judgements or evaluations based on monitoring
budget execution authority
the ability to determine the actual spending of dollars versus the allocation of money to agencies
circular reporting
the effect of a single media story being picked up and repeated by other media sources until the story takes on a much larger life of its own, appearing more important than it actually is
echo
the effect of a single media story being picked up and repeated by other media sources until the story takes on a much larger life of its own, appearing more important than it actually is. Repeated reporting on reporting
confidence levels
the issue of the confidence that the analyst has in or her judgements
resolution
the level of detail provided by imagery. refers to the smallest object that can be distinguished in am image expressed in size
premature closure
the main driver is concern that analysts can fasten on to one line of analysis, especially for issues that are examined and reexamined over the years, and then will not be open to other possible hypotheses or alternatives
collection disciplines
the means of collecting intelligence
analyst agility/fungibility
the need for analysts who have more than one (or two) areas of expertise and therefore can be shifted to higher priority accounts during times of need.
footnote wars
the only goal of which is to maintain a separate point of view regardless of the salience of the issue at stake.
key judgement
the primary analyses from an estimate that predicts the likely course of events and possible indicators of success and failure
agent acquisition cycle
the process of managing spies, has 5 steps: targeting/spotting, assessing, recruiting, handling, and termination.
debris field
the results of destroyed weather satellites that orbits in space at the same speed as all other objects. is hazardous for all other satellites
social media
the sharing of information, views, and ideas via virtual communications and networks
downstream activates
the steps that follow collection. are dependent on technology, the technology is not in the same league, in the same terms of contractor profit as collection systems
groupthink
the tendency of group members to conform, resulting in a narrow view of some issue
national intelligence
the three subsets of all intelligence: foreign, domestic, and homeland security
reciprocity
the willingness (or unwillingness) of intelligence agencies to accept the validity of security clearances granted by other agencies, which, when not accepted, can require new investigations and adjudication of people who have already been cleared by one agency.
sleepers
they are inserted into the target country but spend time sometimes years integrating themselves and do not become active immediately. they maintain regular lives.
insider threat
this program covers not only classified material but any other leaks and includes many agencies beyond the intelligence community.
encrypt
to put into code
national security letters
type of administrative subpoena that does not require a judicial order. Requires the recipients to turn over gag order - the recipient of the NSL may not reveal its contents or even the fact of its existence
ad hocs
unexpected issues that inevitably crop up with little or no warning
all-source analysts
using as many sources as possible to compensate for the short comings of each one
automatic change extraction
using computers to do a negation search by comparing images
unattended ground sensors
very small (palm-sized) acoustic and seismic sensors to detect motion that can be disguised to blend with their surroundings and can be linked into a network
sub-sources
when a source relies on sources of his or her own
denial
when a target nation can use knowledge about the collection capabilities of an opponent to avoid collection.
deception
when a target nation use the same knowledge to transmit information to a collector. the information can be true or false. if false it is called this
little CI
when an intelligence service is penetrated by a spy, the counterintelligence staff will seek to determine the specific issues surrounding the penetration: how it happened, how long it has been going on, who on the other side has been responsible for tasking and for running the penetration, what information may have been compromised, issues of tradecraft. (tactical)
key-word search
when collected data are fed into computers that look out for specific words or phrases
analytically driven collection
when collectors act in response to analytic needs and not more independently or opportunistically. the core of intelligence integration, bringing collection and analysis together at a strategic level, which will then permeate the intelligence community
politicized intelligence
when intelligence officers have a strong preference for a specific policy outcome, their intelligence analysis may display a similar bias. It is one of the strongest expressions of opprobrium that can be leveled in the U.S. intelligence community.
priority creep
when issues move up and down the priority system. becomes a problem when issues do not receive significant attention until after they have begun moving up to the higher priority levels, at which point they compete with issues already in that bracket
feedback
when policymakers give the intelligence community some sense of how well their intelligence requirements are being met and discuss any adjustments that need to be made to any parts of the process
shutter control
who controls what the satellites will photograph
national intelligence managers
write portfolios, have authority to target collection or facilitate analysis, must have knowledge of the analyst working on an issue across the community.