Homeland Security Intelligence: To What End

In this thesis, I present potential solution sets to the question of why homeland security leaders and practitioners use intelligence to improve homeland security decisions. Specific roles and benefits of intelligence are identified, analyzed, and where applicable, extended to domestic security objectives across the homeland security community spectrum. This thesis purports and defends the theory that there are many and varied roles for intelligence for homeland security stakeholders. Six categories of benefits are presented as a frame work for homeland security decision makers, especially those with limited prior knowledge of threat intelligence, to consider as they conceptualize the employment or expectations of intelligence in a homeland security context. The adaptive threat orientation is introduced as a model for acquisition and maintenance of persistent decision advantage in the homeland security threat-scape. The adaptive threat orientation model relies on a continual, repeatable and consistent process, whereby homeland security leaders can acquire and maintain decision advantage over an adversary in the homeland security decision space. This thesis defines homeland security decision advantage, the elements necessary for its acquisition and maintenance, and ultimately defines and defends the value of intelligence in improving homeland security decisions.