Intel environment

NGA director: balancing open source and 'analytical chaos'

Intelligence operations have evolved considerably over the years, especially when it comes to collecting and making sense of information. But while technology and social media have been a boon for intelligence-gathering, it's a fine line between steady flow and avalanche in the era of the data deluge.

Open sources of information now are critical in intelligence operations. However, they require a delicate balance in a world that, while more demanding of transparency than ever, still requires security classifications and secrecy in intelligence for meticulously executed missions with global consequences.