Personal Electronic Devices and the ISR Data Explosion: The Impact of Cyber Cameras on the Intelligence Community

Abstract

Abstract : How can the Intelligence Community (IC) utilize personal electronic devices, specifically cameras and posted images, for intelligence including access to denied areas; how feasible is this collection tool to operationalize; how do analysts analyze an overwhelming volume of data; and what are the implications legally and ethically? As new technology that allows the exploitation of personal electronic devices becomes more integrated into the IC, more powerful analytic tools must be developed to assist the intelligence analyst manage the overwhelming amount of data in order to provide any useful analytic value. This paper will examine the intelligence value of wireless data sources and cyber cameras mounted on personal devices, security and maintenance systems, and photo trawling the internet. It will also look at the legal and ethical issues of employing such a collection strategy in the realm of national security then the feasibility of integrating and processing collected data into finished intelligence in an ever expanding world more data being collected than can be processed.This paper is divided into three sections each focusing on technology and the problems associated with the exploitable nature of personal electronic devices, mainly devices with camera. The first section examines the domestic surveillance camera and privacy issues of electronic devices and technology within the realm of the criminal justice system in the United States. The second section examines how electronic devices can be utilized as covert collection platforms outside the United States to gather useful information for the intelligence community. The third section looks at the processing, exploitation, and dissemination problems the intelligence community faces with the vast amount of international information collected.