In the processing and exploitation stage of the intelligence cycle, being able to quickly assess the relevance of information as it arrives—whether HUMINT, SIGINT, or OSINT—is key in keeping the cycle short. Entities—e.g., people, places, and organizations—are frequently the pivotal data points. Being able to quickly pick out the documents mentioning entities of interest speeds the triage of data, and the following analysis and dissemination. A shorter cycle allows quicker adjustments to requirements and quicker follow-up of fruitful avenues.
This paper discusses the utility of entity extraction for the intelligence cycle, and weighs different methods of entity extraction available today.