ABSTRACT
The introduction lays out the terms, structure, and the focus of the book – examining the impact of the technological phenomenon ‘big data’ on national security intelligence and decision-making. The book argues that big data is transforming what intelligence is, how it is practised and the relationships intelligence organisations have with society. The introduction defines and examines key concepts of the book, including big data, national security and intelligence and outlines the Australian National Intelligence Community. The research leverages semi-structured interviews with almost fifty senior and operational intelligence officers and decision-makers within the Australian National Intelligence Community. This chapter concludes by outlining the structure of the book and summarising the content of each chapter.
