National Intelligence Strategy 2019 PDF

The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America IC Vision A Nation made more secure by a fully integrated, agile, resilient, and innovative Intelligence Community that exemplifies America’s values. IC Missio...

The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America IC Vision A Nation made more secure by a fully integrated, agile, resilient, and innovative Intelligence Community that exemplifies America’s values. IC Mission Provide timely, insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence and support to inform national security decisions and to protect our Nation and its interests. This National Intelligence Strategy (NIS) provides the Intelligence Community (IC) with strategic direction from the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) for the next four years. It supports the national security priorities outlined in the National Security Strategy as well as other national strategies. In executing the NIS, all IC activities must be responsive to national security priorities and must comply with the Constitution, applicable laws and statutes, and Congressional oversight requirements. All our activities will be conducted consistent with our guiding principles: We advance our national security, economic strength, and technological superiority by delivering distinctive, timely insights with clarity, objectivity, and independence; we achieve unparalleled access to protected information and exquisite understanding of our adversaries’ intentions and capabilities; we maintain global awareness for strategic warning; and we leverage what others do well, adding unique value for the Nation. IN TIAL- TELLI PA G OS EN GE CE NATIONAL AAGENCY UN IT IC ED R STAT ME ES O F A From the Director of National Intelligence As the Director of National Intelligence, I am fortunate to lead an Intelligence Community (IC) composed of the best and brightest professionals who have committed their careers and their lives to protecting our national security. The IC is a 24/7/365 organization, scanning the globe and delivering the most distinctive, timely insights with clarity, objectivity, and independence to advance our national security, economic strength, and technological superiority. This, the fourth iteration of the National Intelligence Strategy (NIS), is our guide for the next four years to better serve the needs of our customers, to help them make informed decisions on national security issues, and to ultimately keep our Nation safe. The NIS is designed to advance our mission and align our objectives with national strategies, and it provides an opportunity to communicate national priority objectives to our workforce, partners, oversight, customers, and also to our fellow citizens. We face significant changes in the domestic and global environment; we must be ready to meet 21st century challenges and to recognize emerging threats and opportunities. To navigate today’s turbulent and complex strategic environment, we must do things differently. This means we must: Increase integration and coordination of our intelligence activities to achieve best effect and value in executing our mission, Bolster innovation to constantly improve our work, Better leverage strong, unique, and valuable partnerships to support and enable national security outcomes, and Increase transparency while protecting national security information to enhance accountability and public trust. This National Intelligence Strategy increases emphasis in these areas. It better integrates counterintelligence and security, better focuses the IC on addressing cyber threats, and sets clear direction on privacy, civil liberties and transparency. We have crucial work before us. Our customers depend on us to help them to make wise national security decisions, and Americans count on us to help protect the Nation, all while protecting their privacy and civil liberties. We must provide the best intelligence possible to support these objectives; doing so is a collective responsibility of all of our dedicated IC professionals and, together with our partners, we can realize our vision. Our ongoing goal is to continue to be the very best intelligence community in the world. Thank you for your service and for bringing your talent and commitment to the work of keeping our Nation safe each and every day. Thank you for your dedication to our mission and to the security of our fellow citizens as we take this journey together. 2019 NIS Daniel R. Coats Director of National Intelligence 3  Strategic Environment The strategic environment is changing rapidly, and the United States faces an increasingly complex and uncertain world in which threats are becoming ever more diverse and interconnected. While the IC remains focused on confronting a number of conventional challenges to U.S. national security posed by our adversaries, advances in technology are driving evolutionary and revolutionary change across multiple fronts. The IC will have to become more agile, innovative, and resilient to deal effectively with these threats and the ever more volatile world that shapes them. The increasingly complex, interconnected, and transnational nature of these threats also underscores the importance of continuing and advancing IC outreach and cooperation with international partners and allies. Traditional adversaries will continue attempts In addition to these familiar threats, our adversaries to gain and assert influence, taking advantage are increasingly leveraging rapid advances in of changing conditions in the international technology to pose new and evolving threats— environment—including the weakening of the particularly in the realm of space, cyberspace, post-WWII international order and dominance of computing, and other emerging, disruptive Western democratic ideals, increasingly isolationist technologies. Technological advances will enable tendencies in the West, and shifts in the global a wider range of actors to acquire sophisticated economy. These adversaries pose challenges within capabilities that were previously available only to traditional, non-traditional, hybrid, and asymmetric well-resourced states. military, economic, and political spheres. Russian efforts to increase its influence and authority are No longer a solely U.S. domain, the democratization likely to continue and may conflict with U.S. goals of space poses significant challenges for the United and priorities in multiple regions. Chinese military States and the IC. Adversaries are increasing their modernization and continued pursuit of economic presence in this domain with plans to reach or and territorial predominance in the Pacific region and exceed parity in some areas. For example, Russia beyond remain a concern, though opportunities exist and China will continue to pursue a full range to work with Beijing on issues of mutual concern, of anti-satellite weapons as a means to reduce such as North Korean aggression and continued U.S. military effectiveness and overall security. pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile technology. Increasing commercialization of space now provides Despite its 2015 commitment to a peaceful nuclear capabilities that were once limited to global powers program, Iran’s pursuit of more advanced missile to anyone that can afford to buy them. Many aspects and military capabilities and continued support for of modern society—to include our ability to conduct terrorist groups, militants, and other U.S. opponents military operations—rely on our access to and will continue to threaten U.S. interests. Multiple equipment in space. adversaries continue to pursue capabilities to inflict potentially catastrophic damage to U.S. interests Cyber threats are already challenging public through the acquisition and use of weapons of confidence in our global institutions, governance, and mass destruction (WMD), which includes biological, norms, while imposing numerous economic costs chemical, and nuclear weapons. domestically and globally. As the cyber capabilities of 4 our adversaries grow, they will pose increasing threats the potential for greater instability. Some violent to U.S. security, including critical infrastructure, public extremist groups will continue to take advantage health and safety, economic prosperity, and stability. of these sources and drivers of instability to hold territory, further insurgencies, plan external attacks, Emerging technologies, such as artificial and inspire followers to launch attacks wherever they intelligence, automation, and high performance are around the world. computing are advancing computational capabilities that can be economically beneficial, however these Increasing migration and urbanization of advances also enable new and improved military and populations are also further straining the capacities intelligence capabilities for our adversaries. Advances of governments around the world and are likely to in nano- and bio-technologies have the potential result in further fracturing of societies, potentially to cure diseases and modify human performance, creating breeding grounds for radicalization. Pressure but without common ethical standards and shared points include growing influxes of migrants, refugees, interests to govern these developments, they have and internally displaced persons fleeing conflict the potential to pose significant threats to U.S. zones; areas of intense economic or other resource interests and security. In addition, the development scarcity; and areas threatened by climate changes, and spread of such technologies remain uneven, infectious disease outbreaks, or transnational increasing the potential to drastically widen the divide criminal organizations. between so-called “haves” and “have-nots.” All of these issues will continue to drive global Advances in communications and the change on an unprecedented scale and the IC must democratization of other technologies have also be able to warn of their strategic effects and adapt to generated an ability to create and share vast and meet the changing mission needs in this increasingly exponentially growing amounts of information farther unstable environment. There will likely be demand and faster than ever before. This abundance of for greater intelligence support to domestic security, data provides significant opportunities for the driven in part by concerns over the threat of terrorism, IC, including new avenues for collection and the the threat posed by transnational illicit drug and potential for greater insight, but it also challenges human trafficking networks, and the threat to U.S. the IC’s ability to collect, process, evaluate, and critical infrastructure. Intelligence support to counter analyze such enormous volumes of data quickly these threats must be conducted in accordance with enough to provide relevant and useful insight to IC authorities, with appropriate levels of transparency its customers. to the public, and with adequate protection for civil liberties and privacy. These advances in communications and the democratization of other technologies have empowered non-state actors and will continue to exponentially expand the potential to influence people and events, both domestically and globally. 2019 NIS - STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT The ability of individuals and groups to have a larger impact than ever before—politically, militarily, economically, and ideologically—is undermining traditional institutions. This empowerment of groups and individuals is increasing the influence of ethnic, religious, and other sources of identity, changing the nature of conflict, and challenging the ability of traditional governments to satisfy the increasing demands of their populations, increasing 5 Mission Objectives The seven mission objectives broadly describe the activities and outcomes necessary for the IC to deliver timely, National Intelligence and Intelligence Related to insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence and support National Security means to its customers. Mission objectives address a broad range all intelligence, regardless of of regional and functional topics facing the IC and their the source from which derived prioritization is communicated to the IC through the and including information National Intelligence Priorities Framework. gathered within or outside the United States, that pertains, as determined consistent with The first three mission objectives address foundational missions any guidance issued by the of the IC which transcend individual threats, topics, or geographic President, or that is determined regions. This is different from foundational military intelligence, for the purpose of access to which is intelligence on foreign military capabilities. As such, information by the Director foundational mission objectives collectively represent the to pertain to more than one broadest and most fundamental of the IC’s intelligence missions. United States Government agency; and that involves 1 Strategic Intelligence addresses issues of enduring national security interest. threats to the United States, its people, property, or interests; 2 Anticipatory Intelligence addresses new and emerging trends, changing conditions, and underappreciated developments. the development, proliferation, or use of weapons of mass destruction; or any other matter 3 Current Operations Intelligence supports planned and ongoing operations. bearing on United States national or homeland security. The next four mission objectives address specific, topical missions (Executive Order 12333) of the IC. The topical mission objectives are supported by the three foundational mission objectives and may contain elements of these. Other specific regional and functional issues, such as conflict areas and transnational criminal organizations, are implicitly covered by the mission objectives. 4 2019 NIS - MISSION OBJECTIVES Cyber Threat Intelligence addresses state and non-state actors engaged in malicious cyber activities. 5 Counterterrorism addresses state and non-state actors engaged in terrorism and related activities. 6 Counterproliferation addresses state and non-state actors engaged in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. 7 Counterintelligence and Security addresses threats from foreign intelligence entities and insiders. 7  1 Strategic Intelligence Identify and assess the capabilities, activities, and TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, intentions of states and non-state entities to develop a TH E IC WILL: deep understanding of the strategic environment, warn of future developments on issues of enduring interest, and Develop and maintain capabilities support U.S. national security policy and strategy decisions. to acquire and evaluate data to obtain a deep understanding of the global political, diplomatic, Strategic intelligence is the process and product of developing military, economic, security, and the context, knowledge, and understanding of the strategic informational environment. environment required to support U.S. national security policy and planning decisions. This work includes identifying and assessing Build and maintain expertise and the capabilities, activities, and intentions of states and non-state knowledge of issues of enduring entities to identify risks to and opportunities for U.S. national strategic importance to the United States, and assess trends security interests. Strategic intelligence involves assimilating a and developments related to variety of information—including knowledge of political, diplomatic, these issues to identify changes economic, and security developments—to create a deep that would affect U.S. national understanding of issues of enduring importance to the United security interests and to identify States. Strategic intelligence also provides in-depth assessments of strategic risks and opportunities. trends and developments to recognize and warn of changes related Provide in-depth assessments, to these issues that will affect the future strategic environment. context, and expertise about the strategic environment, including the capabilities, activities, and The foundation for strategic intelligence requires developing and intentions of key state and maintaining a deep understanding of the strategic environment, to non-state entities, to inform U.S. include transnational issues such as terrorism and transnational national security policy and organized crime, and the capabilities, activities, and intentions strategy development. of states and non-state entities necessary to support U.S. national security policy and planning decisions. The IC must master strategic intelligence issues through research, knowledge development, collaboration with experts within the IC, and outreach to experts in academia and industry, as well as the use of advanced analytics and tradecraft to provide in-depth assessments and the strategic context for a wide variety of policy and strategy communities. 8  2 Anticipatory Intelligence Identify and assess new, emerging trends, changing TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, conditions, and underappreciated developments to TH E IC WILL: challenge long-standing assumptions, encourage new perspectives, identify new opportunities, and provide Develop quantitative methods warning of threats to U.S. interests. and data analysis techniques and tradecraft to improve the IC’s ability to identify, analyze, and forecast Anticipatory intelligence involves collecting and analyzing changing conditions and emerging information to identify new, emerging trends, changing conditions, trends across multiple portfolios. and undervalued developments, which challenge long-standing assumptions and encourage new perspectives, as well as Increase common understanding identify new opportunities and warn of threats to U.S. interests. of the scope, definition, tradecraft, Anticipatory intelligence usually leverages a cross-disciplinary and methods of anticipatory intelligence across the community approach, and often utilizes specialized tradecraft to identify to develop workforce proficiency in emerging issues from “weak signals,” cope with high degrees of these skills. uncertainty, and consider alternative futures. Identify and work to remove the Anticipatory intelligence looks to the future as foresight (identifying cultural, technological, human emerging issues), forecasting (developing potential scenarios), capital, and other barriers to incorporate anticipatory intelligence or warning. Anticipatory intelligence explores the potential for into the IC’s routine analytic efforts. cascading events or activities to reinforce, amplify, or accelerate conflict. It may uncover previously unconnected groups or regions Produce and provide intelligence and include indicators or benchmarks to identify key developments information and products that as trends change over time. Anticipatory intelligence assesses risk, highlight emerging trends, intelligence gaps, and uncertainties by evaluating the probability changing conditions, and opportunities or threats in areas of occurrence and potential effects of a given development on U.S. of limited customer focus to national security. maximize decision advantage. Develop integrated capabilities The complexity, scale, and pace of changes developing around to create alerts within the IC to the world test the IC’s ability to deliver insightful and actionable provide timely and relevant warning intelligence with optimal fidelity, scope, and speed required to to our customers, as well as to 2019 NIS - MISSION OBJECTIVES mitigate threats and exploit opportunities. The IC will expand its apprise them of opportunities. use of quantitative analytic methods while reinforcing qualitative methods, especially those that encourage new perspectives and challenge long-standing assumptions. With evolving intelligence requirements, anticipatory intelligence is critical for efficient IC resource allocation. The IC will improve its ability to foresee, forecast, and alert regarding potential issues of concern and provide the best possible opportunities for action to our national security customers. 9  3 Current Operations Intelligence Provide timely intelligence support to enable planned and TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, ongoing operations. TH E IC WILL: Current operations intelligence is the collection, analysis, Provide timely intelligence operations, and planning support that IC elements conduct to support to enable planned enable successful planned and ongoing operations. Current and ongoing operations. operations intelligence includes the intelligence necessary to support the time-sensitive needs of military, diplomatic, Develop and maintain a robust, homeland security, and policy customers in times of conflict or IC-wide intelligence architecture crisis, but also provides opportunities to shape future operations that delivers actionable, timely, and agile intelligence support to and desired operational outcomes. achieve and maintain operational decision advantage. The IC will adapt to evolving operational requirements, maintain Expand and enhance collaboration the robust support customers expect, and further enhance with domestic and global partners capabilities. Faced with a wide spectrum of operations in support to maximize the effectiveness and of military, diplomatic, and homeland security activities, to include reach of intelligence capabilities in addressing transnational organized crime, the IC will prioritize its support of operations. efforts and mitigate risk, operate in denied areas, balance forward Conduct sensitive intelligence presence with robust reach-back, and provide operational resiliency operations to support effective to more fully integrate intelligence with operations. national security action. 10  4 Cyber Threat Intelligence Detect and understand cyber threats from state and TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, non-state actors engaged in malicious cyber activity to TH E IC WILL: inform and enable national security decisionmaking, cybersecurity, and the full range of response activities. Increase our awareness and understanding of adversaries’ use Cyber threat intelligence is the collection, processing, of cyber operations—including analysis, and dissemination of information from all sources leadership plans, intentions, capabilities, and operations—to of intelligence on foreign actors’ cyber programs, intentions, inform decisions and enable action. capabilities, research and development, tactics, targets, operational activities and indicators, and their impact or potential Expand tailored production and effects on U.S. national security interests. Cyber threat intelligence appropriate dissemination and also includes information on cyber threat actor information release of actionable cyber threat systems, infrastructure, and data; and network characterization, or intelligence to support the defense of vital information networks and insight into the components, structures, use, and vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure. foreign cyber program information systems. Expand our ability to enable diplomatic, information, military, Despite growing awareness of cyber threats and improving cyber economic, financial, intelligence, defenses, nearly all information, communication networks, and and law enforcement plans systems will be at risk for years to come. Our adversaries are and operations to deter and becoming more adept at using cyberspace capabilities to threaten counter malicious cyber actors and activities. our interests and advance their own strategic and economic objectives. Cyber threats will pose an increasing risk to public health, safety, and prosperity as information technologies are integrated into critical infrastructure, vital national networks, and consumer devices. The IC must continue to grow its intelligence capabilities to meet these evolving cyber threats as a part of a comprehensive cyber posture positioning the Nation for strategic and tactical response. 2019 NIS - MISSION OBJECTIVES 11  Counterterrorism Identify, understand, monitor, and disrupt state and non-state actors engaged in terrorism and related activities to defeat threats to the United States, our 5 TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, TH E IC WILL: people, interests, and partners. Collect and analyze intelligence to The dynamic nature of the terrorist threat facing the United enable the disruption of terrorist States requires continued emphasis on intelligence collection attacks and attack planning, as and analysis. The IC is therefore an integral part of the national well as terrorism-related activities. whole-of-government effort to protect our country from terrorist Identify and warn of emerging attacks. The IC works across agencies and with domestic and and changing threats, trends, foreign partners to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat terrorists and violent extremist ideologies who threaten our homeland, our people, our interests, and our to develop opportunities to partners overseas. counter them. Broaden and deepen strategic The IC identifies and helps to eliminate terrorist safe havens and knowledge of the global terrorism degrade the illicit financial networks that fund terrorist activities. landscape to provide context The IC supports broader U.S. Government efforts to counter to customers. the spread of violent extremist ideology that drives terrorist actions and to leverage domestic and foreign partnerships and capabilities to strengthen our own capacity and resilience. The enduring and evolving nature of the threat, to include the threat of WMD terrorism, means that the IC must continue to pursue innovative approaches to collection and analysis to ensure counterterrorism (CT) efforts remain effective, efficient, and fully integrated. 12 Counterproliferation Detect, characterize, and disrupt activities of state and non-state actors engaged in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery 6 TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, TH E IC WILL: to defeat WMD threats to the United States, our people, Strengthen U.S. Government interests, and partners. efforts to secure global WMD stockpiles, disrupt adversaries’ programs, and prevent the transfer Proliferation is the development and spread of WMD, related of WMD, related technologies, technologies, materials, or expertise, and their means of delivery, materials, or expertise. including both indigenous development and transfers. Bolster U.S. ability to anticipate and manage WMD crises, Counterproliferation discourages interest in WMD, denies or including potential disclosure, disrupts acquisition, degrades programs and capabilities, deters loss, theft, or use of WMD-related use, and mitigates consequences. materials or weapons. Develop, maintain, and enhance The IC must continue to implement a whole-of-government intelligence capabilities to advance approach to advancing the enduring U.S. counterproliferation understanding of foreign WMD programs, related technologies, policy goals of discouraging interest in WMD, denying or materials, or expertise to disrupting acquisition, degrading programs and capabilities, effectively inform interagency including financial networks that fund proliferation activities, counterproliferation strategic deterring use, and mitigating consequences. This issue is planning and operations. increasingly important as regional security dynamics evolve and as states, terrorists, and proliferators take advantage of rapidly emerging technological advances. Many adversaries continue to pursue capabilities to inflict catastrophic damage to U.S. interests through the acquisition and use of WMD. Their possession of these capabilities can have major impacts on U.S. national security, overseas interests, allies, and the global order. The intelligence challenges to 2019 NIS - MISSION OBJECTIVES countering the proliferation of WMD and advanced conventional weapons are increasing as actors become more sophisticated, WMD-related information becomes broadly available, proliferation mechanisms increase, and as political instability erodes the security of WMD stockpiles. 13  7 Counterintelligence and Security Detect, understand, deter, disrupt, and defend against TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, threats from foreign intelligence entities and insiders TH E IC WILL: to protect U.S. national and economic security. Drive integrated IC activities Foreign Intelligence Entity (FIE) is any known or suspected to anticipate and advance our foreign state or non-state organization or person that conducts understanding of evolving FIE threats and security vulnerabilities. intelligence activities to acquire U.S. information, block or impair U.S. intelligence collection, influence U.S. policy, or disrupt U.S. Develop and implement new systems and programs. The term includes foreign intelligence and capabilities to detect, deter, security services and international terrorists. and disrupt FIE activities and insider threats. Insider Threat is the threat that an insider—any person with Advance CI and security authorized access to any U.S. Government resource, to include efforts to protect our people, personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, or technologies, information, systems—will use his/her authorized access, wittingly or unwittingly, infrastructure, and facilities to do harm to the security of the United States. This threat can from FIEs and insider threats. include damage to the United States through espionage, terrorism, Strengthen the exchange of unauthorized disclosure of national security information, or through FIE threat and security the loss or degradation of departmental resources or capabilities. vulnerability information among key partners and stakeholders to promote coordinated approaches The United States faces an increasingly complex and diverse to mitigation. set of counterintelligence (CI) and security challenges. Rapid technological advances are allowing a broad range of FIEs to field increasingly sophisticated capabilities and aggressively target the government, private sector partners, and academia. FIEs are proactive and use creative approaches—including the use of cyber tools, malicious insiders, espionage, and supply chain exploitation —to advance their interests and gain advantage over the United States. These activities intensify traditional FIE threats, place U.S. critical infrastructure at risk, erode U.S. competitive advantage, and weaken our global influence. To mitigate these threats, the IC must drive innovative CI and security solutions, further integrate CI and security disciplines into IC business practices, and effectively resource such efforts. While the authorities that govern CI and security and the programs they drive are distinct, their respective actions must be synchronized, coordinated, and integrated. 14 Enterprise Objectives The seven enterprise objectives provide the foundation for integrated, effective, and efficient management of mission capabilities and business functions. The first two enterprise objectives focus on general mission and business practices of the IC. 1 Integrated Mission Management addresses IC mission capabilities, activities, and resources to achieve unity of effort. 2 Integrated Business Management addresses IC business functions and practices to enable mission success. The next five enterprise objectives focus on integration of IC efforts in specific areas for the successful completion of the mission objectives. 3 People seeks to forge and retain a diverse, inclusive, and expert workforce. 4 Innovation addresses the improvement of mission and business processes through new technologies, innovative thought, and advancements in tradecraft. 5 Information Sharing and Safeguarding improves collaboration and integration while protecting information. 6 Partnerships seeks to enhance intelligence through partnerships. 2019 NIS - ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVES 7 Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency seeks to protect U.S. values and enhance public trust. 17  1 Integrated Mission Management Prioritize, coordinate, align, and de-conflict IC mission TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, capabilities, activities, and resources to achieve unity TH E IC WILL: of effort and the best effect in executing the IC’s mission objectives. Provide leadership and Effective mission execution requires flexible, responsive, and community management to resilient efforts to appropriately share knowledge, information, and foster collaboration, streamline capabilities across organizational boundaries; mission-focused processes, and effectively manage resources to achieve centers have proven effective in achieving these ends. IC leaders IC mission objectives. will integrate, collaborate, and exchange feedback across priority areas to meet customer needs. Conduct integrated planning, analysis, collection, production, The IC must strike a balance between unity of effort and and dissemination to synchronize specialization, using the best of each to meet mission objectives. intelligence activities. Integrated mission management drives collaboration, creates Leverage IC capabilities and efficiencies, and minimizes redundancies, allowing the IC to multi-disciplinary expertise effectively use available resources. to collaboratively anticipate intelligence problems, implement solutions, and enable innovation. Strengthen and integrate IC governance bodies to increase transparency, prioritize and optimize resources, balance tradeoffs, and manage risk. Drive integrated investment decisions and the delivery of multi-disciplinary, integrated capabilities to assure mission success. 18  2 Integrated Business Management Provide and optimize IC business functions and practices TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, to enable mission success. TH E IC WILL: IC business functions and practices enable the community Advance a dynamic approach to perform its missions, activities, and operations. These to continuous evaluation and functions and practices include the coordinated development, common security practices and alignment, de-confliction, execution, and monitoring of strategies, standards to strengthen the policies, plans, and procedures needed to manage and secure security of the IC infrastructure. the IC and its people, information technology, and physical Pursue common strategies and infrastructure. best practices for acquisition and procurement across the IC to enhance the cost-effectiveness, Effectively managing business functions and practices across efficiency, and agility of acquiring the IC contributes to communication and collaboration, and procuring IC products supports the efficient use of resources, enables resilience, and and services. strengthens integration. Common standards, shared services, Implement IC-wide financial and best practices within IC authorities can increase efficiency, standards, processes, tools, and effectiveness, and accountability; successfully manage and services to achieve fiscal efficiency, mitigate risk; and improve business processes through data- accountability, and security. driven reviews and performance measurements. The IC will promote and identify best business practices and functions Enhance strategy-based performance evaluation across the to optimize solutions and increase collaboration to create a IC that leverages both government culture of continuous learning, innovation, and partnerships and industry best practices to across the community. The IC must also develop flexible, enable informed IC business risk-managed acquisition processes that deliver innovative decisions and guide efficient capabilities, data, and expertise at mission pace. application of resources. Explore innovative means to advance IC facilities, logistics, environmental, and energy programs to enable joint-use 2019 NIS - ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVES functionality; increase efficiency, sustainability, and supportability; and achieve total asset management. Manage risk to intelligence capabilities through IC-wide continuity efforts to foster resilience under all conditions. 19  People Forge and retain a diverse, inclusive, and expert workforce to address enduring and emerging requirements and enable mission success. 3 TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, TH E IC WILL: Create an inclusive environment Diversity is a collection of individual attributes that together help IC empowering managers and elements pursue organizational objectives efficiently and effectively. employees at all levels to take These attributes include but are not limited to characteristics such responsibility and ownership for the as national origin, language, race, color, mental or physical disability, diversity of the organization. ethnicity, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or Take measures to proactively expression, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and family prevent discrimination, structure. Inclusion is a culture that connects each employee to the harassment, and fear of reprisal, organization; encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness; and enabling the workforce to perform leverages diversity throughout the organization so that all individuals at its highest potential. are able to participate and contribute to their full potential. Shape a diverse workforce with the skills and capabilities Linked together, diversity and inclusion drive innovation and enable needed to address enduring the IC to attract and retain the highly-skilled workforce needed to and emerging requirements. meet mission requirements. Invest in mid-level managers and leaders to ensure they are The IC is united in protecting and preserving national security, an appropriately trained, supported, objective that can only be met with the right, trusted, agile, and and held accountable. well-led workforce. IC personnel, including all civilians, military, and Pursue common business functions contractors, must adhere to the Principles of Professional Ethics for and practices for human capital, the IC. Effective approaches are needed to recruit, retain, develop, diversity and inclusion, and equal and motivate employees who possess skills that are fundamental employment opportunity (EEO) to the intelligence mission, including critical thinking, foreign compliance programs to enable language, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The informed IC human resource responsibility to lead and integrate the IC workforce extends beyond investments and decisions. the IC’s human capital, equal employment opportunity, and diversity and inclusion community to span the entire enterprise. Similarly, all IC employees are accountable for cultivating a performance-driven culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness. The IC must have effective tools and resources that integrate workforce planning, transformational leadership, continuous learning, information sharing, performance management, and accountability. Additionally, the IC will make long-term strategic investments in the workforce to promote agility and mobility throughout employees’ careers, including joint duty rotations, and ensure that benefits, compensation, and work-life balance initiatives are fully considered and implemented wherever feasible. 20 Innovation Find, create, and deploy scientific discoveries and new technologies, nurture innovative thought, advance tradecraft, and constantly improve mission and business processes to 4 TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, TH E IC WILL: advance the IC in a rapidly changing landscape. Conduct, leverage, protect, and Innovation—through technological advancements and improved operationalize groundbreaking business practices—is critical to ensuring that the IC can provide research to create agile and the strategic and tactical decision advantage that policymakers revolutionary IC capabilities. and warfighters require. To continue meeting future challenges, Nurture an enterprise-wide the IC must drive new levels of innovation by proactively atmosphere of innovation developing and rapidly incorporating breakthrough and incremental capable of rapidly and technologies, ideas, and constructs. The IC must also foster dynamically adapting to new unconventional thinking and experimentation that address new, challenges and opportunities. better ways of accomplishing the IC’s mission, especially those Explore novel operational approaches that emphasize acceleration, simplicity, and efficiency applications of technology without sacrificing quality and outcomes. These approaches and other resources to should increase insight, knowledge, and speed through artificial advance tradecraft and achieve intelligence, automation, and augmentation, where applicable. mission advantage. To achieve this, IC leaders must be prepared to boldly accept Continuously develop and adopt calculated risks to attain high-value results, and accept the fact cutting-edge mission and business that initial failures may precede a successful outcome. processes to improve intelligence capabilities and services. 2019 NIS - ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVES 21  5 Information Sharing and Safeguarding Develop, enhance, integrate, and leverage IC capabilities and TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, activities to improve collaboration and the lawful discovery, TH E IC WILL: access, retrieval, and safeguarding of information. Identify, validate, prioritize, and The IC Information Environment (IE) includes the individuals, address capability and policy organizations, and information technology (IT) capabilities that requirements for the IC IE to collect, process, or share Sensitive Compartmented Information, enhance intelligence integration or that, regardless of classification, are managed by the IC. and operate as a secure, effective, and efficient IC enterprise. Increase the speed, portability, and Mission success depends on the right people getting the right trust of IC information system risk information at the right time to inform decisionmaking. To do assessments to instill stakeholder this, the IC will take a cutting-edge approach to appropriately confidence in the IC IE, and access information, regardless of where the information accelerate delivery of mission resides. Information that is better organized into appropriate capability to users. data formats and tagged with metadata to increase its quality Enhance foundational IC IT and usability will aid the transition to information-centered capabilities and infrastructure to intelligence processes. An integrated IC IE will enable the IC increase mission effectiveness and to protect against external and insider threats, maintain the reduce duplication. public trust, protect privacy and civil liberties, and carry out its mission. To do this, the IC must continue to adopt modern Develop and implement innovative data management practices to make IC data discoverable, means to manage, share, and protect intelligence information in accessible, and usable through secure, modernized systems accordance with law and policy. and standards. Leverage advanced analytics with modern data extraction, correlation, and enrichment capabilities to maximize the value of IC data. 22 Partnerships Optimize partnerships to enhance intelligence and better inform decisionmaking. 6 TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, TH E IC WILL: Partners consist of organizations and entities working with us Deepen mutual understanding to advance national security priorities, including the U.S. military, and collaboration among partners our allies, foreign intelligence and security services, other federal to effectively inform decisions and departments and agencies, as well as state, local, and tribal enable action. officials and private sector entities, as appropriate. Strengthen existing and develop new partnerships to increase The IC’s partnerships are fundamental to our national security. access to information to meet Effectively leveraging their collective capabilities, data, expertise, mission needs, in accordance with applicable law. and insights make our partners force multipliers. The IC will optimize existing partnerships and forge new relationships to Institutionalize a strategic enhance intelligence and inform decisions. approach to partner engagement to facilitate collaboration and understanding. 2019 NIS - ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVES 23  7 Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency Safeguard privacy and civil liberties and practice appropriate TO MEET TH IS OBJ EC T I V E, transparency to enhance accountability and public trust in TH E IC WILL: all we do. Incorporate privacy and civil The Principles of Intelligence Transparency for the Intelligence liberties requirements into IC Community provide general norms for the IC to follow in making policy and programs to ensure information publicly available that enhances public understanding that national values inform the of intelligence activities while continuing to protect information intelligence mission. when disclosure would harm national security. Engage proactively with oversight institutions and our partners to enhance public understanding and The IC must be accountable to the American people in carrying out trust in the IC. its national security mission in a way that upholds the country’s values. The core principles of protecting privacy and civil liberties Practice and promote in our work and of providing appropriate transparency about our appropriate transparency in the work, both internally and to the public, must be integrated into the IC to make information publicly available without jeopardizing IC’s programs and activities. Doing so is necessary to earn and national security. retain public trust in the IC, which directly impacts IC authorities, capabilities, and resources. Mission success depends on the IC’s commitment to these core principles. 24 25  Factors Affecting IC Performance: Accomplishments, Risks, and Challenges The IC is an increasingly integrated intelligence enterprise working toward the common vision of a Nation made more secure by a fully integrated, agile, resilient, and innovative IC that exemplifies America’s values. To this end, the IC has made significant accomplishments towards NIS objectives, but much work remains. Accomplishments enhancing collaboration and information sharing, Through integration of effort, workforce initiatives, and promoting transparency and cooperation. IC partnerships, transparency, and technological Through this enriching program, our intelligence innovation, IC leaders and managers have promoted professionals have grown and gained additional a more efficient, effective, and agile intelligence experience and expertise and helped accomplish enterprise that enables the United States to safeguard the IC’s mission. our national interests in a challenging world. IC Partnerships Intelligence Integration Significant progress has been made in building Increased intelligence integration has enabled the capacity, standardizing practices, and sharing IC to better optimize mutually supporting collection information with partners in and outside the United and analysis activities, and more effectively manage States to help defend against and respond to foreign its resources, resulting in intelligence support that and foreign-inspired threats to U.S. interests, both has been critical to successful military, diplomatic, at home and abroad. The IC advanced intelligence humanitarian, and other relevant operations. sharing with foreign partners, notably in countering Examples of integrated IC mission successes include terrorism and supporting military operations, and the monitoring of the Iran nuclear program, the engaged in intelligence sharing activities with key investigation of downed Malaysian Airlines Flight MH- domestic partners. 17, the monitoring of North Korean nuclear weapons development, and the response to the Ebola virus Transparency outbreak in West Africa. The Principles of Intelligence Transparency for the IC facilitated decisions on making information IC Workforce publicly available to promote general understanding IC mission success is enabled by an inclusive work of intelligence activities, while continuing to protect environment and a talented and diverse workforce information when disclosure would harm national with opportunities to cultivate career growth through security. As a result, the IC established a publicly a continued focus on developing and leveraging available online repository for declassified documents, diversity. As a result, the IC has consistently been official statements, speeches, and testimony and has ranked at the top of the best places to work in the officially released thousands of pages of documents Federal Government. and posted them in this repository. Through the IC Joint Duty Program, thousands of Technological Innovation civilian personnel have gained expertise, serving By deploying new scientific discoveries and alongside their colleagues in partner agencies, technologies, nurturing innovative thought, and broadening their professional development, improving tradecraft and processes, the IC has 26 achieved greater mission advantage on important Institutional risk refers to the factors that affect issues. For example, IC leaders and managers the IC’s ability to execute effective mission and have promoted a culture of collaboration and business management practices. For example, integration along with unification of intelligence the likelihood of future unauthorized disclosures activities to deliver shared IT services and is a known risk that, if realized, may negatively capabilities across the IC. This integrated affect intelligence collection, relations with approach will enable the IC to appropriately access domestic and foreign partners, and public information and tools, regardless of where in the trust. Better governance, auditing, and security IC they reside. Information that is better organized procedures are needed to mitigate the risk and and enriched by metadata will enable the transition minimize the impact. The IC must attract and to information-centered intelligence processes, retain the right, trusted, agile workforce that while streamlining integrated data, applications, possesses skills such as the critical analytic, and services. scientific, technological, engineering, math, cyber, and foreign language skills required to A pioneering program has developed new methods support current and future mission challenges. for generating accurate and timely probabilistic This includes continuing to make progress forecasts on a wide range of intelligence questions. recruiting and hiring a more diverse workforce These forecasts have been used for National more comparable to external benchmarks, such Intelligence Estimates and other intelligence as those of the Federal workforce, the private products. To improve tradecraft, machine learning sector workforce, and the U.S. population. research has led to new automated methods for forecasting political instability from social media, Programmatic (fiscal) risk refers to the news, financial data, web search queries, and consequences of losing IC capabilities and thousands of other data streams. These innovative resources due to unplanned or unforeseen applications are beginning to revolutionize the future factors that impact the effective use of available of intelligence to better inform our decisionmakers. funds. Continued federal budget uncertainty strains the IC’s ability to make deliberative and Risks and Challenges responsive resource decisions. The outcome may The NIS addresses various sources of risk and be overextended budgets or lack of cost-effective challenges that IC elements are called upon to solutions to address intelligence issues. The mitigate. Risk is an uncertain event or condition that IC needs to develop methods to efficiently shift has a negative effect on the IC’s ability to accomplish resources to mitigate programmatic (fiscal) risk its mission. Risk factors may have internal (areas the and avoid loss of vital programs, capabilities, and IC can control) and/or external (areas beyond the IC’s resource investments. 2019 NIS - FACTORS AFFECTING IC PERFORMANCE control) causes, requiring tailored mitigation strategies. Technological risk refers to the factors that Strategic risk refers to factors that affect the affect the IC’s scientific and innovative methods, IC’s ability to provide sufficient intelligence practices, tools, and skills. Some factors are to inform decisions on national security known, while others may be unforeseen. An issues. Factors such as potentially degraded inability to stay current with rapid changes in operational environments and the number and technology and industry standards may affect complexity of national security threats, together the IC’s competitive advantage. Mitigation may with resource constraints, may challenge the require improving data strategies, software, and IC’s ability to fully monitor situations and infrastructure to retain state-of-the-art capabilities. warn policymakers of all developments. The IC needs to pursue new approaches to better identify and communicate areas to accept risk while maintaining an anticipatory and agile posture against emerging threats. 27  Organization of the Intelligence Community The Intelligence Community is an integrated enterprise comprised of 17 Executive Branch agencies and organizations (generally referred to as “IC elements”) that conduct a variety of intelligence activities and work together to promote national security. The DNI is the leader of the IC and sets IC strategic priorities through the National Intelligence Strategy. Each IC member contributes through the execution of its organization’s mission in accordance with statutory responsibilities. The IC is comprised of the following In addition to collection, analysis, and production, 17 elements: IC elements serve in other roles. Functional managers oversee and coordinate a specific Two independent agencies – the Office of the intelligence discipline or capability and advise the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the DNI on the performance of their functions within Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); and across IC elements. National Intelligence Managers serve as the DNI’s principal advisers on Eight Department of Defense elements – the all aspects of intelligence collection, analysis, and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National counterintelligence against a specific area of concern. Security Agency (NSA), the National Geospatial- Program managers are IC element heads responsible Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National for executing the mission and overseeing their Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the intelligence elements’ budget activities. IC enterprise managers and counterintelligence elements of the military align capabilities and business functions to enable services—U.S. Air Force Intelligence, U.S. Navy the mission. Intelligence, U.S. Army Intelligence, and U.S. Marine TREASUR Y Corps Intelligence, which also receive guidance and STAT E INDE PEN DE oversight from the Under Secretary of Defense for NT AG Intelligence (USDI). EN E CI IC ES ST JU Seven elements of other departments and agencies – the Department of Energy’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence; the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of LAND S ECURI T Y Intelligence and Analysis and the intelligence and counterintelligence elements of the U.S. Coast Guard; the Department of Justice’s Federal HOME Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of National Security Intelligence; the Department of State’s Bureau of EN ER Intelligence and Research; and the Department of GY NS E the Treasury’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis. FE DE 28 Implementing the National Intelligence Strategy The DNI, through the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, provides the IC with overarching oversight, direction, guidance, and coordination. IC elements execute their missions consistent with their statutory authorities. All members of the IC workforce are responsible for understanding how they contribute to the mission of the IC and executing their specific role to the best of their ability, while safeguarding privacy and civil liberties and practicing appropriate transparency. DNI also participates in the development of annual budgets Drive the Strategic Direction for the IC. for the Department of Defense IC elements under the Through the NIS, the DNI sets strategic direction for Military Intelligence Program (MIP). The DNI serves as the IC, bringing together the IC elements to address a voice and advocate for the IC to Congress and other challenges that individual elements cannot solve on external entities. their own. The DNI provides direction for establishing and sustaining capabilities to enable mission success. IC Elements Align Strategies, Plans, and Actions. The NIS Lead Intelligence Integration. Under the informs the strategic plans of the IC elements. The direction of the DNI, the core mission of the ODNI mission and enterprise objectives in the NIS shall is to lead and support IC integration; delivering be incorporated and cascaded into the strategies insights, driving capabilities, and investing in the and plans of the IC elements. Functional managers, future. IC governance is the management of mission National Intelligence Managers, Program managers, and enterprise activities through intelligence and IC enterprise managers will align, synchronize, integration. Intelligence integration means coordinating and integrate their activities to the NIS. and synchronizing collection, analysis, and counterintelligence so that they are fused, effectively Inform Resource Allocation. Program managers operating as one team. The DNI establishes policies are heads of IC elements responsible for executing and standards to enable intelligence integration. the missions of the IC. They oversee their element’s budget activities, make investments in capabilities, Enable IC Mission Execution. The DNI leads IC and execute expenditures within the NIP and the MIP mission execution through decisionmaking bodies, in the IC budget process. Each year they provide a IC strategies, IC budget and resource management, strategic program briefing to the DNI and report to 2019 NIS - IMPLEMENTING THE NIS development of IC capabilities, information sharing Congress on their respective programs. and safeguarding, and partnering with domestic and foreign partners. Assess Outcomes. Activities, initiatives, and operations addressing NIS mission and enterprise Direct the IC’s Budget. The National Intelligence objectives require constant and consistent evaluation. Program (NIP) is the IC’s budget. The NIS serves as IC elements will document the specific impact of the DNI’s mechanism to align NIP resources and report their activities, initiatives and operations, the extent resource expenditures and performance to Congress. to which this impact contributes to broader NIS The DNI leads an IC-wide effort to develop an integrated objectives, and any factors that impede their ability to NIP budget, maintaining strategic focus and cross-IC advance NIS objectives. Measuring progress toward budget awareness, to assure that NIP investments best meeting NIS objectives is crucial to improving the support national security goals and objectives. The DNI overall performance of the IC. 29  Conclusion The NIS provides the IC with the DNI’s strategic direction for the next four years, aligns IC priorities with other national strategies, and supports the IC’s mission to provide timely, insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence and support to inform national security decisions and to protect our Nation and its interests. The IC must fully reflect the NIS in agency strategic plans, annual budget requests, and justifications for the NIP. The DNI will assess IC element proposals, projects, and programs toward the objectives of the NIS to realize the IC’s vision of a Nation made more secure by a fully integrated, agile, resilient, and innovative Intelligence Community that exemplifies America’s values. “ We have to become much more agile, more innovative, more creative. “ — Daniel R. Coats, Director of National Intelligence 30 31  The National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America IC Vision A Nation made more secure by a fully integrated, agile, resilient, and innovative Intelligence Community that exemplifies America’s values. IC Mission Provide timely, insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence and support to inform national security decisions and to protect our Nation and its interests. Customer Success Our Customers The President National Security Council Congress Heads of Departments & Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Others as the DNI Agencies of the Executive Branch and senior military commanders determines appropriate Warfighters, policymakers, Designated state, local, tribal, diplomats, negotiators, and & territorial governments and homeland security, law enforcement first responders & international officials Strategic Intelligence Current Operations Intelligence Anticipatory Intelligence Mission Objectives Enduring Interests Current and Planned Operations Emerging Issues Cyber Threat Intelligence Counterterrorism Counterproliferation Counterintelligence and Security Other Regional and Functional Issues Enterprise Objectives Integrated Mission Management Integrated Business Management People Innovation Information Sharing and Safeguarding Partnerships Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency