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SNAKES IN THE GRASS:Open Source Intelligence Doctrine

Robert D. Steele, OSS CEO<bear@oss.net>

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Information Superiority

Information Peacekeeping

Relevant Information

Information Operations

OSINT Support to Acquisition

OSINT Support to Operations Security

LONG TIMELONG TIME

SHORTSHORT TIME

WARWAR

PEACEPEACE

THERETHEREHEREHERE

INFORMATION INFORMATION WARFARE WARFARE

INFORMATION INFORMATION PEACEKEEPINGPEACEKEEPING

EDUCATIONEDUCATION

INTELLIGENCEINTELLIGENCE

OPERATIONS SECURITY OPERATIONS SECURITY & & COUNTERINTELLIGENCECOUNTERINTELLIGENCE

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Information Information WarfareWarfare

Information Information PeacekeepingPeacekeeping

Open Open Source Source

IntelligenceIntelligence

EducationEducationElectronicElectronic Security & Counterintelligence

Big Secret Not Secret

PrivatePrivate SectorSector!

INFORMATION INFORMATION COMMONSCOMMONS

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CIVIL CENTER OF GRAVITY

OSINT as Input

All-Source Intelligence (Spies, Satellites, and

Secrets)

Information Warfare

Information Peacekeeping

INFORMATION

OPERATIONS

“Don’t send a bullet where a byte will do….”

OSINT as Output

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Information Peacekeeping is the active exploitation of information and information technology--in order to peacefully modify the balance of power between specific individuals and groups--so as to achieve national policy objectives. The three elements of Information Peacekeeping, in order of priority, are intelligence (providing useful actionable information); information technology (providing “tools for truth” which afford the recipient access to international information and the ability to communicate with others; and electronic security & counterintelligence (a strictly defensive and preventive aspect of being able to sustain Information Peacekeeping operations.

Robert D. Steele, 1994

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DEFINITION

• J-1 No OOB for refugee/POW info.• J-2 Assumes SI/TK will have it all.• J-3 No OOB for IO/IW/IP• J-4 No role in information “supply”• J-5 Not held accountable for supportability

of plans in terms of information availability• J-6 Not accountable for coalition-civil

interoperability or for ensuring that external information can be integrated/exploited

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JOINT STAFF ISSUE AREAS

INFORMATION

TIME

Available

Inform

ation

Actionable Intelligence

The New Intelligence Gap: the difference between what you can know and what you can use!

OSINT is as complex as the other disciplines…

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NEW INTELLIGENCE GAP

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Information Superiority

Information System

Relevant Information

Intelligence

Surveillance

Reconnaissance

Information Grid

Computers

Communications

Control

Command

Information Warfare

C2 Warfare

C4ISRISR

C4I

C3

C4

C2

Information Operations

Command and Control

Existing doctrine assumes RI comes from IC or other units!

SIGINT: Dedicated collectors, processors, exploiters

IMINT:

Dedicated collectors, processors, exploiters

HUMINT: Dedicated collectors, processors, exploiters

MASINT: Dedicated collectors, processors, exploiters

OSINT: ???

ALL-SOURCE ANALYST

What’s Missing?

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COMPETING OSINT MODELS

SI/TK

Selective Importation

System High/Firewall

Just Enough, Just in Time

Default to Validated OSINT

SI/TK

Validated OSINT

HIC/MRC STRATEGIC NUCLEAR AND CONVENTIONAL

MILITARY WAR

SOLIC/LEA UNCONVENTIONAL

LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT AND GANG

WARFARE

IW/ECON INFORMATION WAR/ CRIME & ECONOMIC

ESPIONAGE

MINDWAR RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

REFUGEES

PROLIFERATION/MIGRATION

JIHAD/ GREENPEACE

TERRORISM/ GLOBAL CRIME

INFOWAR/ ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE

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FOUR THREAT/IO TYPES

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That’s it for doctrine….now on to the OSINT overview.