In the broadest possible form, an "intelligence gathering network" is a system through which information about a particular entity is collected for the benefit of another.

Intelligence is a military/governmental term referring to the information used in making decisions. Although depicted in spy movies as vitally important bits of microfilm which the hero has to retrieve, in reality, "intelligence" can be any source of information. Embassies subscribe to the newspapers and keep tabs on the news channels of their host countries -- the information doesn't have to be super-secret to be considered useful intelligence. Researchers may also be employed to dig through archives and check facts. And, of course, Secret Agent 007 is roaming the hallways, looking for shredded nuclear secrets and weapons of mass distraction. An important form of intelligence (which is related to the ECHELON system, which is presumably how you got to this page) is so-called "signals intelligence", which attempts to intercept electronic communications.

The network part indicates a multiplicity of collectors of the intelligence, and the transport mechanism which communicates the collected information to a safe location where it can be analyzed and used in the decision making process. A network may not be electronic at all, only a loose association of confederates. In signals intelligence, the network composed of the various "listening posts" (electronic communication interception stations) and their links back to their controlling entity.

--199.243.7.118 03:13, 18 Oct 2004 (UTC)