The Promise of Analysis of Open Source Information

Testimony of John GannonTestimony

United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

"FBI Oversight"

May 2, 2006

Dr. John Gannon

Vice President for Global Analysis , BAE Systems Information Technology

Source: http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_hr/050206gannon.html

John Gannon Testimony“The views expressed are my own. They are shaped

by my professional experience…working with the FBI during a 24-year career at CIA,

during a brief stint as the team leader for intelligence in the Transition Planning Office for the Department of Homeland Security (2002-

2003),

during a two-year tour as the first Staff Director of the House Homeland

Security Committee (2003 to 2005).

building and managing analytic programs in the Intelligence Community, where I served as CIA's Deputy Director for Intelligence,

as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and as Assistant

Director for Analysis and Production.”

John Gannon Testimony“The salient fact is that, approaching five years after

9/11, we still do not have a domestic intelligence service that can collect effectively against the terrorist threat to the homeland or provide authoritative analysis of that threat.”

“We now have abundant data to assess DHS's and the IC's performance since 9/11. …The IC story is disappointing but still with hope under the DNI. For DHS, it is largely a chronicle of a few victories made hard to achieve and many failures that should have been avoided.”

Fact: 50% of the analytic workforce of the U.S. Government has less than 5 years of experience.

Gannon: “What do we need to do?” Of seven recommendations made by Gannon, an

information systems requirement emerges:

“Recommendation 7--Promote Government-wide Information Sharing”

Conclusion

“The US Intelligence Community today is much more than technical collection agencies in league with an espionage service. It is one of the world's largest information companies…. .. [need to] exploit the glut of open-source information; to access the best sources of expertise… ..Fuse classified and unclassified information… .. On domestic intelligence, we are challenged to build a national collaborative network--including Federal, state, and local governments, and the private sector--that can bring together in real time the best information, the foremost experts, and well trained first responders to meet any threat to the homeland. This is the goal.”

Opportunities in Open Sources“The Internet is now the default C4I architecture for virtually the

entireworld. The principle exceptions are most militaries and intelligenceorganizations. The Internet facilitates commerce, provides

entertainment and supports ever increasing amounts of human interaction. To exclude the information flow carried by the Internet is to exclude the greatest emerging data source available. While the Internet is a source of much knowledge, all information gleaned from it must be assessed for its source, bias and reliability.”

-- W. F. KERNAN, General, U.S. Army Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic

NATO Open Source Intelligence Handbook, November 2001

http://www.oss.net/dynamaster/file_archive/030201/ca5fb66734f540fbb4f8f6ef759b258c/NATO%20OSI

Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF, formerly C4ISR)

Real-World Open-Source Example

COMPANY P.O. BOX ADDRESS Mayrow General Trading 42340 & 171978

A&B&C

Micatic General Trading 42340 A&B

Majidco Micro Electronics 42340 A&B

Atlinx Electronics 42340 A&B

Narinco 42340 A&B

Micro Middle East Electronics 42340 A&B

Date: June, 2006

Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-5118.htm

Open-Source Example (Cont.)

Associated Personal Names___________________________________

F.N. Yaghmaei H. Ghasir  

Business Locations________________________

Address “A” = 401 --Bin Yas Center -- Al Maktum Road, Dubai, UAE

Address “B” = Shops 3-4, Sharafia Ahmed Ali Building, al-Nakheel, Deira, Dubai, UAE

Address “C” = Deira, Dubai, UAE

Company Name PO Box Address Phone/Fax Nr

 Mayrow General Trading 42340 A&BC 971-4-2219641 171978 2219642

 Micatic General Trading 42340 A&B 971-4-2278996 2278995

171978 971-4-2278997 2278998

 Majidco Micro Electronics 42340 AB&D 971-4-2278996 2278995

 Atlinx Electronics 42340 A&B 971-4-2278997

2278998 971-4-2278996

2278995

Narinco 42340 A&BMicro Middle East Electronics 42340 A&B 971-4-2278996

2278995(MME Middle East, LLC 42340 971-4-2241400)

2241500) 2278996

Associated Personal Names___________________________________ 

F.N. Yaghmaei H. Ghasir Mr. David ConBabaii ManeshA.H. Shamnad

 

Locations_____________ 

Address “A” = 401 --Bani Yas Center -- Al Maktum Road, Dubai, UAE Address “B” = Shops 3-4, Sharafia Ahmed Ali Building, al-Nakheel, Deira, Dubai, UAE Address “C” = Deira, Dubayy, UAE Address “D” = Mohamad Abdulla Alqaz Bldg, Bani Yas Square, Al Rigga, Dubai, UAE