List of intelligence gathering disciplines
This is a list of intelligence gathering disciplines.
HUMINT
Human intelligence—gathered from a person on the ground.
- Espionage
- Friendly accredited diplomats
- Military attachés
- 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)
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
- Nuclear MASINT
- 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
- Materials MASINT
- Radiofrequency 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 cyberspace
FININT
Financial intelligence—gathered from analysis of monetary transactions