Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Traditional methods based on the rating of source reliability are no longer in use. It has
been estimated that nowadays more than 80% of raw data comes to intelligence analysts
from open sources (Web, e-mail, media, commercial databases). The majority of data is
available in real-time in its generation, while some other data is rapidly obsolete or
transitory.
The requirements and constraints outlined for enterprise data management are strongly
amplified but the basic approach of data processing and Business Intelligence remains
unchanged.
In particular, it should be stressed that some requirements and constraints must be
carefully refined since they are key factors for the trustworthiness, responsiveness and
efficiency expected from an Intelligence Infrastructure dedicated to Information Warfare
or counter-terrorism:
3.1
Data sources
The intelligence architecture should be able to access and manage the huge mass of
data coming from every sensor and application. It should be stated that most open source
data must be collected “on the fly” by the Internet services (Web, e-mail, chat, news, file
transfer, video and audio streaming, etc.) and from public services (bank databases,
communication service providers, airline companies, travel agencies, hotel reservations,
etc.) consistent with the best balance between privacy constraints and national security.
An evolution of the Enterprise Information Portals (EIPs) along with powerful search
engines (semantic, exception, etc.) should be considered.
3.2
Extraction, Transformation and Loading (ETL) Security
The experience gained in BI has demonstrated that ETL tools play a key role in the
operational responsiveness of the entire system. Data loaded in the warehouse must be
perfectly cleansed of all errors and inconsistencies as it could affect all the following
processes and the value of final knowledge gained. ETL tools could be considered as the
replacement of traditional scoring of sources attributed by intelligence analysts and the
first transformation of data into information.
The connection of the intelligence system to the Internet can open the way to external
penetration. Since data accuracy must always be preserved, the screen interposed
between the transactional and information environments must incorporate robust security
mechanisms.
In the last few years, investigators have accumulated intelligence about Al Qaeda's
interests and skills in using cyberspace. Some experts believe it is unlikely that terrorists
will launch a disruptive cyber-attack assuming that info-weapons still do not have the
same emotional impact as bombs. Much more detrimental would be a subtle penetration
aimed at silently corrupting information used for operational purposes. One could easily
suppose the catastrophic effect of a penetration aimed at the corruption of data or the
injection of disinformation into the warehouse of an intelligence system.
3.3
Query and Reporting
Query and Reporting tools can be considered as the interface between human analysts
and the automated system. This interface is a crucial point in intelligence architecture
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