Debate Centers on Relative Value of Open Source

Intelligence professionals generally agree that open source information is useful and that such information should be collected and analyzed, just as is data derived from classified sources. In response to this congressional direction, the Administration opted to establish a National Open Source Enterprise built around several key principles:
the establishment of the position of Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Open Source with overall oversight responsibility of the open source effort; coordination by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for open source funding requests in the DNI's budgetary submissions and allocations; the creation of a "Guild" of open source experts at an Open Source Center and by ensuring that open source competency becomes an Intelligence Community requirement; a single open source requirements management system to balance resources and acquisitions against priorities; establishment of a single open source architecture to facilitate access to a wide range of potential consumers at federal, state, local, and tribal levels; and creation of an entity to develop and acquire cutting-edge technologies and processes that advances efforts to acquire and utilize open source information. Summary

Although unclassified information has often been slighted by the Intelligence Community, a consensus now exists that open source information must be systematically collected and in fact constitutes an essential component of analytical products. This has been recognized by various commissions and by Congress in statutory language. Responding to legislative direction, the Intelligence Community has established the position of Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Open Source and the National Open Source Center. The goal is not only to perform open source acquisition and analysis functions; but also, to create a center of excellence in open source collection and analysis that will support and encourage all agencies in the Intelligence Community in the effective use of open source. The effort has been only underway since late 2005 but the NOSC is up and running, and providing support, including training, to open source professionals throughout the Intelligence Community. It is less clear that administrative mechanisms are in place to ensure that there is a comprehensive community-wide open source effort. It appears to observers that not all agencies have as yet made comprehensive commitments to acquiring and using open source information, nor that the ODNI has taken sufficient steps to ensure that open sources are fully exploited. Observers suggest that congressional oversight of the open source process might provide insight into current progress of Administration efforts as well as identify areas that need modification. A particular focus of congressional interest might be potential tradeoffs between classified and open source collection to ensure that needed information is obtained in the best and most cost-effective manner. The goal would be to ensure that vulnerable human agents and expensive surveillance systems are focused on obtaining information that is being actively hidden and obtainable through no other means.
Open source information (OSINT) is derived from newspapers, journals, radio and television, and the Internet. Intelligence analysts have long used such information to supplement classified data, but systematically collecting open source information has not been a priority of the U.S. Intelligence Community. In recent years, given changes in the international environment, there have been calls, from Congress and the 9/11 Commission among others, for a more intense and focused investment in open source collection and analysis. However, some still emphasize that the primary business of intelligence continues to be obtaining and analyzing secrets.
A consensus now exists that OSINT must be systematically collected and should constitute an essential component of analytical products. This has been recognized by various commissions and in statutes. Responding to legislative direction, the Intelligence Community has established the position of Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Open Source and created the National Open Source Center. The goal is to perform specialized OSINT acquisition and analysis functions and create a center of excellence that will support and encourage all intelligence agencies.
The effort has been only underway since late 2005 but the Center is up and running, and providing support, including training, to OSINT professionals throughout the Intelligence Community. Administrative mechanisms are in place to ensure that there is a comprehensive community-wide open source effort. It appears, however, to some observers that not all agencies have as yet made comprehensive commitments to acquiring and using open source information, nor that the ODNI has taken sufficient steps to ensure that open sources are appropriately exploited. Observers suggest that congressional oversight of the OSINT process might provide insight into current progress as well as identify areas that need modification. A particular focus of congressional interest might be potential tradeoffs between classified and open source collection to ensure that needed information is obtained in the best and most cost-effective manner. Proponents maintain that this approach helps to ensure that agents and expensive surveillance systems are focused on obtaining information that is being actively hidden.
The collection and analysis of OSINT information will be ultimately judged by its contribution to the overall intelligence effort. Collecting information from open sources is generally less expensive and less risky than collection from other intelligence sources. The use of OSINT may result not only in monetary savings but also in less risk than utilizing sensitive technical and human sources. OSINT can also provide insights into the types of developments that may not be on the priority list for other systems or may not be susceptible to collection through other intelligence approaches—innovative applications of new technologies, shifts in popular attitudes, emergence of new political and religious movements, growing popular discontent, disillusionment with leadership, etc. Supporters of OSINT maintain that the future contribution of the Intelligence Community will be enhanced by its ability to provide detailed information and incisive analyses of such developments. This report will be updated as new information becomes available.