HUMINT: Role In Intelligence Collection

Intelligence

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1.) What is the role of HUMINT in intelligence collection? What types of collection problems is it best suited to address?

Human intelligence or HUMINT is information that can be gathered from human sources. Collection of HUMINT is the responsibility of the national clandestine service. HUMINT plays an important role in the development and implantation of US foreign and national security policies and in protecting the country’s interest. This intelligence is utilized when only well-placed human assets can access the intelligence needed by the military, policy makers or the president. If the information can be collected through other methods, then the use of HUMINT, which poses a risk to human lives, can be preserved for intelligence with no alternative collection

One limitation of COMINT is that communication has to exist in order to be intercepted. Without communications, the COMINT operation is worthless. Information can also be encoded, which will pose a problem in analysis. One limitation of using COMINT is that there is too much information. Communication intelligence yields a lot of information for intelligence analysts. It is difficult to analyze such information effectively, as it requires a lot of time and analysts. This means that finding valuable information using this approach might be difficult or even impossible. The use of encryption and other secure forms of communication can restrict access to data. A change in the communications protocol, for instance, adopting another mode of communication can also lead to loss of access. There is also the likelihood of communications deception where the information passed through the channels used to collect data is fabricated. Another problem of using COMINT as a single source of information is that it does not provide all the information needed in intelligence