There are several methods of intelligence collection. Four of the most widely recognized examples are HUMINT (human intelligence), OSINT (open source intelligence), PHOTINT (photo or image intelligence) and SIGINT (signals intelligence). The interested reader is referred to Wikipedia for a more extensive list. For this essay, however, the focus is upon HUMINT.

WHAT HUMINT IS – AND IS NOT

For those who aren’t in the intelligence business – or who haven’t spent time actually gathering intelligence in the field – it is worthwhile to discuss what HUMINT is and is not.

Regrettably, there is no good substitute for the kind