Intelligence and Technology

Catalog description

Espionage has sometimes been called the second-oldest profession, highlighting the ancient and unchanging roots of spying. But the information revolution (sometimes called the fourth industrial revolution) that the world is currently experiencing is changing the business of espionage almost faster than intelligence professionals can adapt. This course explores those changes and aims to familiarize students with macro-level trends in technology, their potential impacts on the fields of intelligence, and the challenges and opportunities for intelligence and special operations communities in adapting to those changes. Considers all intelligence's fields: analysis, human intelligence, signals intelligence, geospatial intelligence, counterintelligence and even open-source intelligence. Also examines the concept of a revolution in military affairs/revolution in intelligence affairs and considers whether the current changes amount to a revolution in intelligence affairs. Examines case studies to understand how different military and intelligence organizations adapted or failed to adapt to change. Requires no technology expertise; focuses on the impact of technology on the business of espionage.