Abstract
This chapter looks at the context, application and benefits of OSINT for use in decision making, as an integrated part of the wider intelligence mix and, as an essential component within the overall Intelligence Cycle. OSINT is a growing and increasingly critical aspect in decision making by LEAs—and has been even before the burgeoning use of social media brought open source to the fore. But, its full integration into the wider intelligence mix, as well as into an overarching information governance framework, is essential to ensure efficient and effective contribution to usable intelligence able to support better informed decision making. Fundamentally, unless the system in which OSINT is used as interoperable as the system is in which decision-making is taking place, the application and value of OSINT will be far less effective, efficient and meaningful. This chapter addresses OSINT in the context of the Intelligence Process and the need to resolve the challenges and issues surrounding the integration and use of OSINT into the Intelligence Cycle. It further discusses how an overarching information governance framework may support OSINT for decision making within the wider Intelligence Mix.
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Notes
- 1.
Grand Strategic: An overarching concept that guides how nations employ all of the instruments of national power to shape world events and achieve specific national security objectives. Grand strategy is also called high strategy and comprises the “purposeful employment of all instruments of power available to a security community” (Military historian B. H. Liddell Hart).
- 2.
Battlespace: The effective combination, or integration, of all elements of a Joint force to form a coherent whole, clearly focused on the Joint Task Force Commander (JTFC)’s intent, is critical to successful Joint operations. Integration of individual Force Elements (FEs) enables their activities and capabilities to be coordinated and synchronised, in accordance with clear priorities, under unified command. On multinational and multi-agency operations, the contributions of other participating nations and non-military actors should also be harmonised wherever feasible. UK doctrine is, as far as practicable and sensible, consistent with that of NATO. The development of national doctrine addresses those areas not covered adequately by NATO; it also influences the evolution of NATO doctrine in accordance with national thinking and experience. Source: UK MoD Joint Doctrine Publication 3-70 (JDP 3-70), dated June 2008.
- 3.
Pallaris, C. (2008). CSS Analysis in Security Policy. Available at: www.isn.ethz.ch.
- 4.
National Intelligence Machinery: UK Government November 2010.
- 5.
Military aid to the Civil Power (MACP).
- 6.
NATO Architecture Framework: http://nafdocs.org/introduction/.
- 7.
5 Eyes community: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) are members of the Five Eyes intelligence community. https://www.opencanada.org/features/canada-and-the-five-eyes-intelligence-community/.
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Marzell, L. (2016). OSINT as Part of the Strategic National Security Landscape. In: Akhgar, B., Bayerl, P., Sampson, F. (eds) Open Source Intelligence Investigation. Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47671-1_4
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