A source or subsource in

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as the a ...

is typically a confidential provider of non

open-source intelligence Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources (covert and publicly available sources) to produce actionable intelligence. OSINT is primarily used in national security, law enforcement, and bus ...

.Katherine Hibbs Pherson, Randolph H. Pherson ''Critical Thinking for Strategic Intelligence'' 1506316867 - 2016 "Another common trap is the failure to differentiate between the source and the subsource. The source's reliable description of what was ... a credible reporter. Dealing With Deception In intelligence analysis, law enforcement, military operations," In espionage, this includes "assets" who are personally developed.

References

Intelligence assessment {{Espionage-stub