So often when delivering Intelligence Awareness seminars, I find the secret nature of intelligence operations is beyond the understanding of many. I take great pains to link intelligence to strategy – If the competitor knows your strategy before it becomes a plan followed by a new action, service or product, then it is no longer a strategy. If what is being researched, investigated etc. is known/transparent, then the organizational goal is automatically compromised. 

So too in business, intelligence gathering secrecy is critical if strategy, potential future action, as well as the source from whence it comes, are to be safeguarded. The riskier the procurement and the more vital the strategy, the greater the need for security.  No matter any organizations accountability/transparency policies, intelligence cannot be and is never included. Should things go awry, the intelligence operation is disowned and will never be admitted without concrete proof. Understandably record keeping of sensitive action is not a priority. This paradox has always been present in government, military, security & high level business afairs.   

In the ongoing Air India Inquiry people seem astounded that documents cannot be found to back up intelligence reports preceding the attack. Today’s Globe & Mail quotes RCMP Commissioner William Elliott in discussing the seeming disconnect between the RCMP and CSIS as saying: “ CSIS exists to gather and keep intelligence while the police force exists to prosecute criminals - and criminal prosecutions sometimes require the disclosure of evidence that the spy service would rather keep secret.”

For the full story:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071207.wairindia07/
BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20071207.wairindia07