List of intelligence gathering disciplines

Intelligence Gathering Disciplines

HUMINT

Human Intelligence—gathered from a person on the ground.

• Espionage
• Friendly accredited diplomats
• Military attaches
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Patrolling (Military police, patrols, etc.)
• Prisoners of war (POWs) or detainees
• Refugees
• Strategic reconnaissance, as by special forces
• Traveler debriefing (e.g., CIA Domestic Contact Service)

HINTELL

Hint Intelligence—gathered from hints from all sources.

GEOINT

Geospatial Intelligence—gathered from satellite, aerial photography, mapping/terrain data

• IMINT—Imagery Intelligence: gathered from satellite and aerial photography

MASINT

Measurement and Signature Intelligence

• Electro-optical MASINT
  • Airborne Electro-Optical Missile Tracking MASINT
  • Tactical Countermortar Sensors
  • Infrared MASINT
  • Optical Measurement of Nuclear Explosions
  • LASER MASINT
  • Spectroscopic MASINT
  • Hyperspectral Imagery MASINT
  • Space-based Staring Infrared Sensors
• Nuclear MASINT
  • Radiation survey and dosimetry
  • Space-based Nuclear Energy Detection
  • Effects of Ionizing Radiation on materials
• Geophysical MASINT
  • Weather and Sea Intelligence MASINT
  • Acoustic MASINT (also known as ACOUSTINT or ACINT - Acoustic phenomena)
  • Seismic MASINT
  • Magnetic MASINT
  • Gravitimetric MASINT
• Radar MASINT
  • Line-of-Sight Radar MASINT
  • Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) MASINT
  • Non-Cooperative Target Recognition
  • Multistatic Radar MASINT
  • Passive Covert Radar
• Materials MASINT
  • Chemical Materials MASINT
  • Biological Materials MASINT
  • Nuclear test analysis
• Radiofrequency MASINT
  • Frequency Domain MASINT
  • Electromagnetic Pulse MASINT
  • Unintentional Radiation MASINT

OSINT

Open Source Intelligence—gathered from open sources.

Can be further segmented by source type; Internet/General, Scientific/Technical and various HUMINT specialties (e.g. trade shows, association meetings, interviews, etc.)

SIGINT

Signals Intelligence—gathered from interception of signals

• COMINT—Communications Intelligence
• ELINT—Electronic Intelligence: gathered from electronic signals that do not contain speech or text (which are considered COMINT).
  • FISINT—Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence, was formerly known as TELINT or Telemetry Intelligence. TELINT, entails the collection and analysis of telemetry data from the target's missile or sometimes from aircraft tests.

TECHINT

Technical Intelligence—gathered from analysis of weapons and equipment used by the armed forces of foreign nations, or environmental conditions.

• MEDINT—Medical Intelligence: gathered from analysis of medical records and/or actual physiological examinations to determine health and/or particular ailments/allergetic conditions for consideration.

CYBINT/DNINT

Cyber Intelligence/Digital Network Intelligence—gathered from Cyber Space

FININT

Financial Intelligence—gathered from analysis of monetary transactions

See also

• Cryptanalysis
• Meteorological intelligence
• Optrint
• Spy satellite
• TEMPEST
• Traffic analysis