Open Source Intelligence May Be Changing Old-School War

An open source panopticon is changing the way intelligence is collected and used in war.

Open source intelligence can be accessed by the general public. It was used in war and diplomacy long before the internet. It is now affordable to many actors, whether they are North Korea, the CIA, or terrorists.

The anonymity of people in law enforcement, military, and the intelligence community is being eroded by the availability of open source information. A former US intelligence official said missing information can alert a spy service. A foreign counterpart joked to a former US intelligence official that the CIA officers working at US embassies lacked Facebook profiles because they were not official. The US government has 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884

Closed societies like North Korea, Russia, and Iran have an advantage over open ones when it comes to modern intelligence collection. The freedom and security of individuals and societies are dependent on the control of information. Closed societies can collect an open one's information with ease, all the while preventing access to similar information from domestic political opponents or hostile foreign actors.

It is possible that too much secrecy on the part of governments and militaries can prevent them from knowing themselves. Information technology is nature's way of breaking boundaries. It erodes markets across sectors and societies: from journalism to intelligence, crime to terrorism, and now it seems, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Jeff Rogg is a historian of US intelligence who focuses on civil-intelligence relations. Whether that intelligence is secret or open source, the objective of intelligence is obtaining or maintaining an advantage over one's adversaries. When the Biden administration declassifies intelligence to counter Russian misinformation or share secret intel with Ukrainian counterparts, this principle is at play.

It's easy to forget how successful intelligence outcomes can also depend on secrecy, and even a bit of deception, given the emphasis placed on open sources in the war in Ukraine. It's possible to attribute successes in Ukraine to open sources, as well as more closely held sources and methods.

Matthew Ford is a British scholar who is the co-author of a book on the impact information infrastructure and connected devices have on military conflicts.