Publications

History is replete with examples of world powers, countries, and militaries that failed to identify the revolutionary potential of a new technology and, as a result, lost their advantage and relevance. This article addresses the gap between the essential technological changes that the cybersphere has created and facilitates and the outmoded functioning of intelligence organizations, which have remained rooted in the approaches, architecture, and tenets of the intelligence cycle paradigm that emerged between the two world wars. This gap creates a need for a systemic and conceptual change, but the lack of an awareness of crisis and urgency within the intelligence community as well as in the public discourse has delayed any transformation, even though discussion about the gaps between the functioning of the intelligence agencies in the cyber age and their approaches, culture, and structure has been underway for more than a decade. The main reason for this lack of awareness of crisis and urgency is that the intelligence community continues to function and make achievements even in its current format, particularly in operative and tactical spheres.

This article is significant in that it provides a clear and methodical presentation of the gaps and tensions in the intelligence community due to its delay in adopting a new paradigm.