Sources of information are those systems whose components ensure the placement, integrity and accessibility of information for its intended purpose.
Depending on the type of object you are interested in, the sources can be classified in some way.
Types of information sources
1. open or relatively affordable;
2. half-open (not completely classified, but controlled by someone);
3. closed.
Sources of information may be:
1. knowledgeable people;
2. documents;
3. Wired and wireless communications.
Knowledgeable persons are those who explicitly or potentially possess the necessary information. These are such sources of information as:
1) Experts, i.e. individuals whose professional contacts and knowledge (work, hobbies) allow you to navigate in the matter of interest. They can issue basic materials, bring to new sources of information.
2) Informants are individuals from an adversary group who supply material about the activities of their employer. The veracity of the materials they provide can be quite high.
3) Frightened - these are all knowledgeable people who provide information under pressure. In this case, the truth of the message is not guaranteed.
4) Agents are trusted people who are surrounded by an object. The reliability of the data they supply depends on their individual qualities.
Sources of information, which are knowledgeable people, can also be other persons who accidentally own the necessary data.
Documents as sources of information:
1) Official documents characterizing the object.
2) Archives and business papers.
3) Computer information media - databases, disks, flash drives, etc., from which you can print the necessary information.
4) Personal archives and papers - notebooks, notes on calendars, etc.
5) Garbage - accidentally lost or discarded drafts and records.
6) The information released is publications in newspapers, on websites on the Internet, television and radio stories, lectures and speeches delivered by someone.
Technical means of communication
Sources of information can be means of wired and wireless communications (a variety of technical means of processing and transmitting information).
These include:
1) Corded phones. In this case, we are given information or it is tapped by special services in order to find out what interests them. At the same time, it is possible to wiretap not only telephone conversations, but also what is said behind closed doors with the handset put on the lever.
2) Mobile communications and pagers. Such devices are available for listening to conventional radio interception with an appropriate scanner, if there is no special protection.
3) Telegraph, telefax, teletype. Graphic and symbolic information circulates through the channels of such devices, which is displayed on paper, which is very convenient in business relations and relationships.
4) Personal radio stations that are used for civil and official radio communications. If the facility does not provide special means of protection, then intercepting signals from such a radio station is not particularly difficult.
5) Computer networks. Many organizations have local area networks for communication between computers with Internet access. This allows you to connect to the cable and "count" the information that is in the memory of the computer directly, and the one that is transmitted over the network.
It should be borne in mind that the information necessary to make the right decision is usually either expensive or not available at all. The cost of information must include the time spent by managers and subordinates to collect it. Therefore, it remains to be decided how significant the benefits of this information are.