The Role of Intelligence in National Security

The preeminent responsibility of every government is the welfare of its citizens. It’s not an easy task—there are many adversaries intent on disrupting the nation’s safety and stability.

National security agencies are therefore essential in anticipating and neutralizing these dangers. To stay one step ahead of threats, these organizations gather and analyze intelligence from a wide variety of sources. By utilizing this intelligence to identify potential risks, agencies—such as the MI5 (United Kingdom) or ASIO (Australia)—can take critical action to avert crises.

Read on as we examine the crucial role of intelligence in identifying and mitigating national security issues. We will review the intelligence lifecycle, the essential process of converting information into actionable insights. Finally, we will discuss today’s top intelligence challenges, as well as advanced analytical solutions that support the mission of national security agencies. Maintaining national security is a constantly evolving challenge, and methodologies must work in the field, not only in theory. By looking back at two recent terror events—both in Vienna—we will explore how intelligence, when converted into action, can neutralize potential threats before they happen:

November 2020 terror attack: An Islamist extremist, armed with a rifle and wearing a fake suicide vest, targeted cafes near Vienna’s main synagogue. Though there were warning signs—including his prior imprisonment for ISIS affiliation—intelligence agencies were unable to connect the dots in time. He opened fire, killing four and injuring over 20.  

August 2024 terror attack: Conspirators in Vienna planned to detonate a bomb-laden vehicle and use homemade explosives to potentially kill tens of thousands at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show. Austrian police arrested three suspects after U.S. intelligence alerted them to the ISIS-inspired plot.

The Intelligence Analysis Lifecycle

The intelligence analysis lifecycle is a comprehensive process through which raw data is converted into meaningful intelligence. The process typically includes defining the direction of the intelligence mission, data gathering, processing and analysis, followed up by the dissemination of insights and definition of follow up tasks. This is an iterative process that will often be repeated multiple times as new information emerges and the threat landscape changes.

Direction (Defining the Mission):

Decision-makers outline the intelligence requirements, objectives and priorities based on national security needs. These directives may stem from long-term strategic concerns—such as monitoring hostile states or emerging technologies—or from immediate operational needs, such as preventing a terrorist attack. By defining the scope, timelines and priorities, the direction phase ensures that intelligence resources are applied efficiently and that the information gathered will be relevant and actionable.

Data gathering:

In this stage, as much relevant information as possible is gathered. Certain persistent threats to national security, such as terror, cyberattacks and espionage, require continuous monitoring. Other situations, for example, emerging crises, require pinpoint situational awareness. There are also instances, such as tactical operations in the field, which require real-time or near-real-time intelligence.

Analysts are trained to gather information from a wide range of sources, including:

• Human Intelligence (HUMINT): spies, informants, interviews
• Signals Intelligence (SIGINT): communications data, radar, electronic signals
• Visual Intelligence (VISINT): satellite images or aerial photographs
• Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT): news media, social media platforms, commercial databases, public registries, academic articles, messaging platforms, dark web forums
• Financial Intelligence (FININT): bank records and transactions, blockchain ledgers, Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs)

Processing:

The data sources gathered—whether from human sources, signals, imagery or open sources—are often unstructured and must be converted into usable formats. Analysts must sort, translate and organize the data to ensure accuracy and relevance. This step transforms raw data into relevant information.

Analysis:

This is the heart of effective national security. While raw intelligence may contain hints of something suspicious—a terrorist plot, a cyber intrusion or foreign espionage—security officials rely on analyzed intelligence to make informed decisions and execute operations.

Advanced analytics and AI tools enable intelligence agencies to explore large sets of data using statistical models, algorithms and data visualization. These capabilities help analysts connect the dots across multiple sources to detect suspicious indicators and uncover hidden connections and patterns. Ultimately, the goal is to identify the person(s) or organization behind the threat.

Dissemination & Follow Up:

Once intelligence is evaluated, it must be delivered to decision-makers— whether within the national security organization or in partner organizations such as policymakers, military command or law enforcement. The effectiveness of a national security organization depends not only on the quality of the intelligence it produces, but also on its timely delivery to those best positioned to act.

Equally important is the definition of follow-up tasks. Decision-makers may request additional clarification, deeper analysis, or ongoing monitoring of specific threats. These requirements feed directly back into the intelligence cycle, ensuring that the process remains dynamic and responsive. Without this step, critical questions may remain unanswered, or opportunities to refine intelligence could be missed.

No Shortage of National Security Threats

Intelligence agencies combat a wide range of national security threats. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warns of a growing threat environment in 2025. Violent extremism, from foreign groups like ISIS and al‑Qa’ida as well as domestic groups, is a top national security concern. Cybersecurity threats—such as hacking, espionage and critical infrastructure attacks—are increasingly prominent. Among a myriad of other threats, agencies also monitor weapons proliferation, disinformation and others.

National security threats that agencies typically address include:

• Terrorism: Perhaps the highest-profile national security threat. There is a trend of increasing radicalization of minors and use of advanced technologies, such as AI‑generated propaganda and cryptocurrency‑funded networks.
• Espionage and Foreign Intelligence Operations: Clandestine collection of sensitive or classified information by external actors.
• Disinformation and Subversion: Efforts by adversaries to weaken a nation, including through influence campaigns attempting to erode public trust in institutions or interfere with democratic elections.
• Border Security and Migration-Related Threats: The illegal movement of people or goods across borders that may facilitate terrorism.
• Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare: Threats to critical infrastructure, financial systems, communication networks and data integrity.
• Organized Crime & Transnational Criminal Networks: Hostile states and terrorist organizations are not only tapping into established criminal networks to smuggle weapons, generate revenue through illicit activities and launder funds—they are increasingly using criminals to help carry out operations and attacks. This crime-terror nexus is becoming an increasing threat to national interests and public safety.

Is Good Intelligence Enough? It’s Getting Harder to Stay One Step Ahead

Protecting national security today is more difficult than a generation ago, as threats have grown more sophisticated, technology has advanced at breakneck speed and the world has become increasingly interconnected. Common data and technology challenges which can hinder national security agencies from conducting effective intelligence analysis and operations include:

• Data Overload: Agencies must process and analyze a staggering amount of data; it’s nearly impossible to manage the sheer volume and variety. Sorting through this flood of information to identify relevant intelligence is complex and resource intensive.
• Data Fusion: Data comes in many forms—text, video, audio, geospatial images—gathered by different teams using disconnected systems. Generating a holistic intelligence view across all the data sources is critical.
• Data Security: With so much sensitive information, safeguarding the data is paramount. Protecting databases from breaches, while safeguarding classified information and ensuring usability for analysts is a constant balancing act.
• Algorithmic Reliability: AI and machine learning are increasingly used to identify patterns, detect anomalies and automate threat detection. However, AI models can be flawed or biased, and overreliance on them can lead to false positives.
• Cross-Border Coordination: Security threats don’t respect national boundaries, but data sovereignty and privacy laws often restrict how agencies can collect or share data internationally.

Today’s agents may look back at their counterparts from 25 years ago—when communications were analog and threats were low-tech—and think “those guys had it easier”. This may be true, however, as we will see below, advanced analytical solutions are available that provide the capabilities to stay ahead of the threats.

The Right Analytical Solutions Make the Job Easier

With constant threats and overwhelming data, national security agencies increasingly rely on advanced analytical tools to accelerate investigations. These solutions blend intelligence methodologies, technology and collaboration to streamline the detection and mitigation of national security threats. They assist analysts in answering critical questions such as:

• What happened and where?
• Who was involved?
• What was the motive?
• What is likely to happen now?
• What should be done?

Below are key analytical solutions that support national security agencies in answering these questions and more:

• Network Intelligence: SIGINT tools analyze communications data, such as phone calls, emails, text messages and internet traffic to identify suspicious patterns, anomalies and behaviors.
• Decision Intelligence: Decision intelligence platforms apply AI and ML technologies along with data visualization and collaboration tools to provide analysts with a holistic intelligence view across multiple data sources, as well as to make smarter and faster decisions. Cognyte’s NEXYTE platform is a leading example: it fuses data from diverse sources and formats–including text, audio, images, and videos–into a unified intelligence workspace.
• Blockchain Analytics: Traditional blockchain analytics solutions map and monitor the movement of suspicious cryptocurrency transactions. However, pseudonymity, data volumes and cross-chain complexity make it extremely difficult to link a crypto wallet to a real person. Cognyte’s BLINK is the first blockchain analytics solution in the market that enables authorities to directly link bad actors to their crypto wallets, in order to combat terror financing and other illicit activities.
• GenAI Co-Pilots: Intelligence co-pilots are platforms designed to process, interpret and act on vast amounts of data. Using AI, natural language processing and machine learning, they mimic human reasoning. Intelligence co-pilots—designed for national security—are embedded directly into the investigative workplace, expertly speeding up intelligence analysis.
• Open-Source Intelligence: The volume of publicly available data on the internet offers immense potential for generating actionable intelligence. With OSINT analytical tools, content shared online by bad actors—such as text, images, videos and audio—provides analysts with a trail of digital footprints.

Intelligence and the Vienna Terror Plots

As described above, two terror events occurred in Vienna, but with dramatically different outcomes: in the 2020 attack, innocent people were killed and injured, while in the 2024 event, no one was hurt (although the Taylor Swift concerts were cancelled). Was intelligence a factor in the different outcomes?

There was much intelligence about the terrorist in the 2020 attack, Kujtim Fejzulai: He was a known radical with ties to ISIS. He served time for terror-related offenses and was under surveillance by Austrian security services after his parole and entry into a deradicalization program. Intelligence gathered showed his participation in pro-ISIS Telegram groups and his movements across borders in the Balkans and Europe, including Slovakia and Austria. Slovak police informed Austrian authorities about Fejzulai’s attempts to buy ammunition in Bratislava.

There was also intelligence available about the planned 2024 attack: In July 2024, U.S. intelligence agencies detected an ISIS-associated individual—later identified as a 19-year-old Austrian (Beran A.)—posting an ISIS allegiance pledge via Telegram. Investigators confirmed that the suspects were recently radicalized online and motivated to strike a high-profile mass event.

Even with all the intelligence available in 2020, Austrian security forces were unable to connect the dots and generate actionable and specific intelligence in time to avert the attack. They were also hampered by limited capacity to analyze some of the communications data. In addition, some intelligence was not shared promptly between agencies (police, domestic intelligence, prosecutors) and this contributed to missed opportunities for intervention.

The success of the Austrian authorities in preventing the 2024 attack can be attributed to lessons learnt from 2020: There was better use of intelligence tools to flag suspicious online activity. And after 2020, the Austrians enacted legal reforms that enabled greater international cooperation and real-time intelligence sharing within the EU and with partners like the U.S.

Bottom line: Actionable intelligence enables national security agencies to protect citizens. Threats evolve, but with modern analytical tools, agencies can detect, mitigate and prevent threats to protect public safety and save lives.

Learn more about how advanced analytical solutions can empower national security agencies with the actionable intelligence needed to protect national interests and ensure public safety.