List of intelligence gathering disciplines

Intelligence Gathering Disciplines

HUMINT

Human Intelligence - gathered from a person on the ground.

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

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
  • Airborne Electro-Optical Missile Tracking 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- 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 non-communications electronic emissions
  • FISINT - Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence
    • TELINT - Telemetry Intelligence - 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 exploitation.

FININT

Financial Intelligence - gathered from analysis of monetary transactions

See also

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