Publication

This publication examines the role of open source intelligence (OSINT) in supporting the national security agenda. The author argues that the growing popularity of OSINT can be attributed to the broadening of the national security agenda, the growing demand for knowledge on global affairs, the evolution of the internet and other technologies, and recent intelligence failures. For the traditional intelligence community, OSINT is likely to remain one part of an all-source intelligence gathering capacity. For most other government agencies, however, OSINT is the only "INT" they have access to, and is thus a strategic enabler of policy and decision-making. Governments would be wise to develop a national OSINT strategy that addresses the information needs of all their departments, and create an OSINT center that pools together knowledge and expertise.