Geopolitics Magazine March - April 2015 ( 8th Edition ) | Page 100
Geopolitics & Daily News Magazine
Written by Alexandros Niklan
Sr. Security Consultant
IISCA Sec Group
Information and Intelligence overflow. Are we to keep them all?
One of the main problems for an analyst or a citizen is that they both are under constant
bombardment of information flow. TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers are literally producing a "buffer
overflow" to a person by throwing at him a great deal of information which some estimate it
numerically at 5 to 6 gigabytes of data per second! How much of this information, though, is really
something that someone can use?
Most analysts have a system in place that puts data under evaluation consisted by following
parameters. Our suggestion is that it could be useful also in other cases that concern simple citizens or
even organizations:
-
1.
2.
3.
4.
how much value does this information has in relevance to the needs of the subject/person.
rating of information.
source of information.
age of information.
1. Relevance of Information.
The logical thing to do when you are the recipient of an information is to evaluate first if this is relevant
to your needs and quests. So, If an information is not relevant to something needed should we throw it
away or neglect it? This is a question that should trouble experts but truth be told, a citizen would not
care on how much, for example, the percentage of stock sales bonds was dropped or raised during last
hours unless he has a portfolio. Still though he could keep this information for a limited time period if
he thinks that this is something that might help him at a certain subject of his indirectly. In simple
words, every piece of information has its own value but this is directly associated to the needs and
demands of the recipient of that information. Significance of information is also something very
important. A piece of intelligence that is containing data on history, culture, war, economy is
considered to be far more valuable than a piece of information that contains data about celebrities.
Subject contained within information defines also the value of it.
2. Rating of Information.
In several occasions, especially on the web,
someone might be lucky enough to run into
a piece of information that is supposed to be
classified or at least sensitive (DarkNet is a
place where someone might run into them).
Most people are attracted by this label on
this intel and they are willing to keep it, just
because someone labelled it like that. Secrecy and mystery is always a sign that attracts many people
regardless of the real content. For example if someone puts out a report which is based on logical
assumptions and felicities, along with a "CONFIDENTIAL/SECRET/NO FORN" he will probably
witness a viral spreading of these news via web in some hours. However this is not always the case.
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