Search: The Future of OSINT [is M4IS2-Multinational]

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The future of OSINT is M4IS2.

The future of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is Multinational, Multifunctional, Multidisciplinary, Multidomain Information-Sharing & Sense-Making (M4IS2).

The following, subject to the approval of Executive and Congressional leadership, are suggested hueristics (rules of thumb):

Rule 1: All Open Source Information (OSIF) goes directly to the high side (multinational top secret) the instant it is received at any level by any civilian or military element responsive to global OSINT grid. This includes all of the contextual agency and mission specific information from the civilian elements previously stove-piped or disgarded, not only within the US, but ultimately within all 90+ participating nations.

Rule 2: In return for Rule 1, the US IC agrees that the Department of State (and within DoD, Civil Affairs) is the proponent outside the wire, and the sharing of all OSIF originating outside the US IC is at the discretion of State/Civil Affairs without secret world caveat or constraint. OSIF collected by US IC elements is NOT included in this warrant.

Rule 3: The J-2 is the proponent for OSINT inside the wire, to include requirements definitiion and collection management and exploitation. In those agencies and departments of government lacking an intelligence function, where there is a DoD need (e.g. they are playing a role in AF, IQ or elsewhere), a dual-purpose OSINT cell can be embedded at the national level to both provide direct OSINT support for recipient support of DoD missions (e.g. in AF or IQ), and to help assure the instant channeling of OSIF to the high side.

Rule 4: The Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) will be the Whole of Government executive agent for Open Source, creating a new Directorate (DO) that is in direct support of but co-equal to DX, DH, and DI. Within DoD, OSINT will be considered HUMINT vice TECHINT, and DO will play a subordinate supporting role in helping DH and DI make the most of overt human sources world-wide while creating three divisions, one each for defense policy, defense acquisition, and defense-centered inter-agency operations support.

Rule 5: DIA will create and manage a service of common concern, the Defense Open Source Center (DOSC), with an embedded Multinational Decision Support Center (MDSC) staffed by 90 countries at their option, with unimpeded two-way reachback to military hubs in each participating coalition country. Ideally this should be located on the South-Central Campus between the Department of State and the U.S. Institute for Peace (USIP).

Rule 6: All elements of the force–civilian and military–will be trained and equipped in acquiring multilingual multimedium Open Source Information (OSIF)–and provided with effective means of sending all collected OSIF to tactical, operational, and strategic multinational multifunctional information coordination centers overseen by State/ Civil Affairs but funded and managed by DIA. A citizen-centered means for digitazing all information in all languages all the time will be a mid-term objective for the global OSINT grid.

Rule 7: Direct OSINT support to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and all Congressional jurisdictional committees will be provided on demand, with simultaneous copies to the corresponding executive element, and to the public. As a general rule, all OSIF acquired at taxpayer expense outside the US IC will be placed in the public domain as soon as operationally feasible.