page_title: Signals intelligence
section_title: Technical definitions
hierarchical_section_title: Signals intelligence / Technical definitions
caption_attribution_description: English&#x3a;&#32; Satellite ground station of the Dutch Nationale SIGINT Organisatie (NSO) (2012) near Burum, a village in the Dutch province of Fryslân.Frysk&#x3a;&#32; Satellytgrûnstasjon fan de Nationale SIGINT Organisatie (NSO) oan de Wytsmawei noardwestlik fan Boerum. It kompleks is foltôge yn 2012.Nederlands&#x3a;&#32; Satellietgrondstation van de Nationale SIGINT Organisatie (NSO) (2012) bij Burum, Fryslân.
context_page_description: Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether communications between people or from electronic signals not directly used in communication. Signals intelligence is a subset of intelligence collection management.
  As sensitive information is often encrypted, signals intelligence in turn involves the use of cryptanalysis to decipher the messages. Traffic analysis—the study of who is signaling whom and in what quantity—is also used to integrate information again.
context_section_description: The United States Department of Defense has defined the term "signals intelligence" as:
  A category of intelligence comprising either individually or in combination all communications intelligence (COMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT), and foreign instrumentation signals intelligence (FISINT), however transmitted.
  Intelligence derived from communications, electronic, and foreign instrumentation signals.
  Being a broad field, SIGINT has many sub-disciplines. The two main ones are communications intelligence (COMINT) and electronic intelligence (ELINT).
caption: Satellite ground station of the Dutch Nationale SIGINT Organisatie (NSO) (2012)
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