Information, in a security sense, is a term used to describe raw data which when critically analysed is used to provide the end product which is called intelligence. For example, a GPS tracker log – the raw data – may show that an employee’s company car visited various addresses owned by the directors of competitor companies. The intelligence – sometimes abbreviated to the colloquial expressions Int and intel – derived from this could be that the employee is possibly liaising with competitors to exchange information illegally.

However in general terms, usage of the term intelligence indicates both the acquisition and analysis of raw data. Information or raw data can be collected in number of ways.

The most basic method is OSINT (open source intelligence) which refers to the research and collation of archived information such as online databases or old newspapers. Another method is by the use of secret agents, surveillance operators, sources (sometimes referred to as informers) or indiscreet third parties. This type of information collection is commonly referred to as HUMINT (human intelligence).  A more modern method of obtaining information is SIGINT (signals intelligence) which is the interception of communications (for example radio or mobile phone messages) along with IMINT (imagery intelligence) which is the analysis of satellite imagery or air photography i.e. images taken from a plane.