Challenges Facing the Hungarian Civilian Intelligence at the Beginning of the 21st Century

Abstract

There is a direct link between human intelligence and intelligence services. Intelligence is a high level dynamic knowing process, a decision-making support function. For its complexity, it is difficult to define, but its major attributes can be grasped. With openness of the political power, intelligence can produce added value. International “proliferation” of intelligence, the changing publicity do not narrow the leeway of services. Political decision-making will need intel-support in the future, too. For the intelligence service, the key to success resides in continuous observation of the changing environment, learning, organisational and information technology adaptation and identification of opportunities of serving national interests.