Data Mining and Information Technology: Its Impact on Intelligence Collection and Privacy Rights

摘要

Modern Information Technology (IT) has radically magnified the capability and power of data mining. At a time when the threat environment has shifted in emphasis to COIN, terrorism, and cyber war, IT-enhanced data mining capabilities could provide some of the critical intelligence demanded by these types of threats. Yet depending on how this new capability is employed and what protections are in place, US citizen's privacy rights could be threatened. This paper establishes the intersection between the capability and need for data mining and the suitability of existing policy to enable its legitimate application. Policy recommendations are made to address the concerns discussed above and facilitate the fullest execution of the National Strategy for Information Sharing.