Length: 2 Weeks
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Communications Intelligence Analysis Training

Cybersecurity Foundations Workshop Training by Tonex

SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) is intelligence derived from electronic signals and systems used by foreign targets.

These targets include everything from communications systems to radars and weapons systems. SIGINT provides a vital window for the U.S. military into foreign adversaries’ capabilities, actions and intentions.

The origins of SIGINT can be traced back to the first world war when British forces began intercepting German radio communications to gain intelligence about their plans. This led to the use of cryptography to conceal the content of radio transmissions, and as such, cryptanalysis became an integral part of SIGINT as well.

The world has changed and so has advances in communications intelligence. Today, the U.S. military gathers signals intelligence through several means, including:

  • Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Global Hawk and Reaper drones
  • Interception of electronic communications data

U.S. military drones are now equipped with powerful infrared sensors and cameras, as well as Light and Imaging Detection (LIDAR) and synthetic aperture RADAR systems to gather and transmit back valuable raw intelligence from the operational environment for analysis.

Agents of the National Security Agency (NSA) use the capture of electronic communications to provide actionable intelligence in real time by bringing in data like emails, texts, phone calls and more.

The raw SIGINT is then translated, interpreted or represented into information which can then be analyzed and used for decision-making.

SIGINT is divided into three sub-disciplines:

  • Communications Intelligence (COMINT)which is the interception of communication between people and groups
  • Electronic Intelligence (ELINT)which is the intercepting of electronic signals which are not specifically used for communication
  • Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT)which is the collection of signals created by the testing and use of foreign weapons systems.

There is some overlap between SIGINT and electronic warfare (EW) because the systems and equipment used for EW can simultaneously collect intelligence.

While EW is more focused on immediate threats in the operational environment, much of the data obtained can be used to enhance raw signals intelligence and SIGINT decision-making.

EW can detect the source of an electromagnetic signal, the type of equipment generating that signal, and relevant data like frequency, modulation.

Communications Intelligence Analysis Training Course by Tonex

Communications Intelligence Analysis Training Bootcamp is a customized training course covering all aspects of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) including Communications Intelligence (COMINT), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT), collection, analysis and mitigation.

Advanced Network Characterization (ANC), SATCOM, Radar, UHV/VHF/H, microwave, mmWave, Digital Land Mobile Communication (DLMC), 4G/5G, WiFi, IoT, and optical signals are analyzed utilizing the latest technologies and methodologies in the SIGINT field are discussed.

Suggested Duration

1 Week, 2 Weeks or 4 Weeks Bootcamps; It will be customized based on goals and objectives of each participant.

Communications Intelligence Analysis involves collecting intelligence from communications and information systems to help protect troops and military operations, national security, fight terrorism, combat international crime and narcotics, support diplomatic negotiations, support allies, and advance many other important national objectives.

Participants will learn about COMINT/SIGINT and tools to collect and analyze signals from various sources, including foreign communications, satellite/space, commercial communication systems, mobile networks, radar and other electronic and communication systems. The instructors will show you what to collect, and how to process, analyze, produce, and disseminate Signals Intelligence information and data for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes.

Participants will also learn about advanced techniques and algorithms for collection, network characterization, and analysis across the Radio Frequency Spectrum for the purpose of supporting Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyze and Disseminate (F3EAD).

Communication is an important part of everyday life — especially when it comes to leading a country. World leaders communicate with their people in a variety of ways. All of these forms of communication emit a signal that can be collected. The information gathered from these intercepted signals is of vital importance to national security.

About Communications Intelligence, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Analysis

SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) is a broad discipline and can include intelligence collection from various means including communications intelligence (COMMINT), electronic intelligence (ELINT), Radar and electronic warfare (EW).

SIGINT systems gather information from adversaries’ electronic signals.  Analysts then evaluate this raw data from foreign communication systems, radars and weapon systems, and transform it into actionable intelligence.  The information generated by these systems offers insight into adversaries’ actions, capabilities, and intentions before they are carried out.

As electronic warfare and wireless technology has evolved, so have approaches to signals intelligence. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI), for example, have greatly improved communications planning and intelligence capabilities. An automated algorithm detects and identifies signals in sensor data much faster than a highly trained operator.

Signal detection from massive amounts of stored data is like searching for a needle in a haystack. An operator controlled autonomous agent finds incoming signals, automatically determine signal type, and provides an analyst with reasons why a determination was made.

Algorithms help SIGNET systems automates the low-level detection and classification tasks. This frees up military personnel to focus on higher level tactical decision making. This way, the system becomes another team member, with a supervising human in the loop to authorize the appropriate military response.

In addition, through SIGNET automation, a commander can gain an “EM signature picture” of his forces as they are arrayed in the battlespace. This way, he can glean valuable information on his own EM signature and use that information to improve or implement additional passive and active actions to increase survivability.

The responsibilities of a signals intelligence (SIGINT) analyst include examining foreign communications and activity and collating the information by compiling reports on combat, strategy and tactical intelligence, to support Special Operations Task Force and other government agencies.

Using advanced equipment, the SIGINT analyst analyzes intercepted messages and organizes relevant information, identifies operational patterns, and notifies commanders of unusual activity so they can respond appropriately. Other duties include maintaining databases and assisting with placing, camouflaging and retrieving surveillance systems.

Opportunities in this type of position are most prevalent in the military including the Army, Air Force and the National Guard, but there are positions available outside the military as well, such as with technology companies that work with law enforcement and counterintelligence agencies.

Course Structure

This interactive Communications Intelligence Analysis Training Course is structured with a mix of lectures, class discussions, workshops and hands-on exercises led by highly knowledgeable and engaging instructors.

Learning Objectives

After completing the customized communications intelligence analysis training bootcamp, participants will:

  • Discuss the basic and advanced communications intelligence and analysis principles
  • Discuss strategies for safeguarding SIGINT and COMINT approaches
  • Define the roles and responsibilities that support SIGINT environments
  • Conduct gap analysis between SIGINT baseline and best practices
  • Get familiar with RF theory, antenna principles, antenna types and characteristics
  • Tools to predict system performance via link budgets and detection theory.
  • Learn about Interferometers and adaptive digital beamforming
  • Evaluate detection concepts and principles of link budgets
  • Describe principles behind emitter geolocation techniques
  • Evaluate and implement advanced signal processing techniques
  • Analyze, assess, and optimize propagation effects and models for challenging environments
  • Integrate receiver architectures and modern digital signal processing hardware/software
  • Explain principles behind Software Defined Radio (SDR)
  • Evaluate and implement the security controls necessary to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) in SIGINT environments
  • Evaluate

Who Should Attend?

Communications Intelligence Analysis training course is designed for engineers, analysts, scientists, project managers, military intelligence professionals, and anyone else who wants to learn about the COMINT, SIGINT, and intelligence analytics.

Course Agenda and Topics

Principles of Communications Intelligence (COMINT)

  • What is signals intelligence (SIGINT)?
  • Principles behind Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)
  • ISR missions
  • ISR intelligence architectures
  • Component of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) applications
  • Image intelligence (IMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and measurement and signatures intelligence (MASINT) collection systems
  • Collection and exploitation of signals transmitted from various communication systems, radars, and weapon systems
  • Technical definitions
  • Targeting
  • Intercept management
  • Signal detection
  • Traffic analysis
  • Electronic order of battle
  • Communications intelligence
  • Electronic signals intelligence
  • SIGINT and MASINT
  • SIGINT and Electronic Warfare (EW)

 Intelligence Analysis

  • Communications Analysis
  • Events Intelligence analyses
  • Uncertainty
  • Assumptions
  • Organizations and Evaluation
  • Introduction to Decision Analysis
  • Signals Intelligence
  • Collection
  • Communications Intelligence (COMINT)
  • Technical and intelligence information
  • Electronic Intelligence (ELINT)
  • Information collected from systems such as radars and other weapons systems
  • Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence (FISINT)
  • Signals detected from weapons under testing and development

Intelligence Collection and Analysis Mechanisms

  • Methods to collect  communications intelligence and SIGINT
  • Type of signal targeted
  • Tools to collects the raw SIGINT
  • From the raw data into intelligence
  • Signals Analysis
  • Steps to achieve collected, processed, and analyzed SIGINT
  • Role of Intelligence Community analysts
  • The finished intelligence
  • Role of Big Data and AI

The Fundamentals of Communications Intelligence and Signal Analysis

  • Principles behind Geolocation
  • Parameters of receiver platforms, measurement types
  • Requirements for data links and timing sources
  • Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in SIGINT
  • The Time, Frequency and Modal Domains
  • Principles behind Time Domain
  • Principles behind Frequency Domain
  • Instrumentation
  • Dynamic Signal Analysis
  • FFT Properties
  • Sampling and Digitizing
  • Aliasing
  • Band Selectable Analysis
  • Windowing
  • Network Stimulus
  • Averaging
  • Real Time Bandwidth
  • Overlap Processing
  • Dynamic Signal Analyzers
  • Modal Domain Measurements

Communications Intelligence Analysis Technical Principles

  • COMINT Capability
  • Performance of a SIGINT/COMINT system
  • Algorithm selection
  • Software, firmware and hardware architecture
  • Propagation analysis and effects
  • Emitter characteristics
  • Traditional and modern emitter geolocation approaches
  • Analytical tools and algorithms to predict accuracy
  • Operation in dense signal environments
  • Interferometry and automatic modulation classification
  • Adversaries’ electronic signals
  • Evaluate raw data from foreign communication systems, radars, and weapon systems
  • Data transform ion and actionable intelligence
  • SIGINT integration with different platforms and UAVs, manned aircraft, surface vessels, and ground vehicles
  • Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) -hardware
  • Open system architecture
  • Advanced signal location and exploitation capabilities

Communications Intelligence Operational Planning

  • SIGINT organization
  • Command and Control (C2) and Operations
  • SIGINT roles and responsibilities
  • Planning and operations
  • Planning responsibilities
  • SIGINT organizations structure examples
  • Planning consideration
  • SIGINT communications
  • SIGINT functional planning (using DoDAF views)
  • SIGINT Systems Engineering
  • SIGINT Concept of Operations (ConOps)
  • Enemy Characteristics
  • Topography
  • Coordination of SIGINT operations
  • Planning and direction
  • Collection
  • Processing and Exploitation
  • Production, Dissemination and Utilization

Principles of Collection

  • SIGINT collected
  • Type of signal targeted Raw SIGINT
  • Signals Analysis
  • Analyzing electronic signals and communications
  • Analyzed SIGINT
  • Role of HUMINT
  • Translators, cryptologists, analysts, and other technical experts
  • Process to turn the raw data into intelligence
  • Tools to produce finished intelligence
  • The volume and variety of today’s signals
  • Challenges to the timely production of finished intelligence
  • Track and analyze all the SIGINT collected

Principles of Electronic Intelligence

  • Basic math concepts
  • Waveforms
  • Principles of modulation and coding
  • Radar Principles
  • Intrapulse modulation
  • Radiation patterns and scan
  • Radar types and functions
  • Collection anomalies
  • Analysis of Radar signals
  • Electronic attack
  • Digitization and interpretive analysis
  • Electronic intelligence (ELINT) analysis techniques
  • ELINT applications, strengths and limitations

Advanced Electronic Intelligence

  • SIGINT technologies
  • The analysis of Radar signals
  • Signal-to-Noise-Ratio  (SNR) and Eb/No considerations for analog and digital Systems
  • Signal power
  • Polarization (Linear, Circular and Elliptical)
  • Beam analysis
  • Antenna Scan analysis
  • Intrapulse analysis
  • Radio Frequency (RF) analysis
  • Determining ELINT parameter limits
  • Technical ELINT (TechELINT)
  • Signal structure, emission characteristics, modes of operation, emitter functions
  • Weapons systems associations of such emitters as radars, beacons, jammers, and navigational signals
  • Tools to obtain signal parameters
  • Design of radar detection, countermeasure or counter weapons equipment
  • Operation of the countermeasures
  • Operational ELINT (OpELINT)
  • Locating specific ELINT targets
  • Determining the operational patterns of the systems
  • Electronic Order of Battle (EOB)
  • Threat assessments
  • Tactical ELINT
  • TELINT
  • Collection, processing, and reporting of foreign telemetry signals intelligence
  • Intelligence information derived from the intercept, processing, and analysis of foreign telemetry
  • Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence

Workshops and Case Studies

  • An approach to UAV-based Communications Intelligence (COMINT)
  • Principles of sensor and data fusion in COMINT
  • Optical imaging satellite data and Electronic Intelligence Satellite data
  • Detection area analysis in ELINT systems
  • A simple ELINT receiver architecture
  • Overview of a conventional warfare ELINT system supporting an unconventional COMINT fight
  • Cyber/SIGINT collection, processing techniques and enablers
  • Cyber/SIGINT systems engineering, analysis, development, integration, test and evaluation of technologies/techniques
  • Real-time processing technology to improve the extraction, identification, analysis and reporting of tactical information a applied to Cyber and SIGINT
  • ISR information extraction for SIGINT issues
  • Algorithms for identification, collection, processing, and exploitation of electronic communication signals in a moderate to dense co-channel environment with potentially significant Doppler effects’

Communications Intelligence (COMINT) Hands-on Activities and Labs

  • Principles of Signal processing and applied RF
  • Overview of SDR
  • Overview of GNU Radio
  • Overview of GNU Radio software libraries
  • Overview of GNU Radio Companion (GRC)
  • Overview of Python and C++
  • Overview of Linux
  • Overview of Universal software radio peripherals
  • SDR and GNU Radio modules
  • Systems using HackRF One
  • Assessments of physical RF devices
  • How to Fingerprint on RF spectrum?
  • Hunting signals
  • Hardware Hacking 101
  • Reversing and Instrumentation (embedded RF systems)
  • IoT Hacking with SDR
  • Overview of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Open source SDR LTE software
  • Principles of Radar detector
  • Principles of Remote Controlled Cars
  • SDR Offensive Security

Course Hardware and Software Provided to Each Student

  • Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop, 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processor, Windows 10 Home, Intel® HD Graphics 620, 15.6-inch HD Display, 1TB Hard Drive and 8GB Memory
  • HackRF One hardware (part of the class)
  • Hand-held Radar Detector
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth IoT boards
  • GNU Radio installed software and libraries
  • Installed Pentoo Linux distribution with full support for HackRF and GNU Radio
  • Installed GNU Radio Library and GNU Radio Companion (GRC) tool

Communications Intelligence Analyzing Labs

  1. RF Simulator lab
  2. Intelligence lab
  3. EW Propagation lab
  4. SDR with GNU Radio basic lab
  5. SDR Hacking with HackRF lab
  6. GNU Radio Companion (GRC) lab
  7. Waveform Signal Generator lab
  8. Adversarial attacks and hunt
  9. Fingerprint on RF spectrum lab
  10. Modern cellular lab
  11. Hunting signals lab
  12. IoT Hacking with SDR: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  13. SATCOM Radio lab
  14. RADAR emissions lab
  15. Radar detector lab
  16. Analyzing Electro-Magnetic Spectrum (EMS)
  17. Antenna lab
  18. Correlative Interferometry DF Stimulation
  19. Battlespace Spectrum Management (BSM) lab
  20. COMINT Technical Analysis lab
  21. In-service Electronic Surveillance (ES) lab

 

Communications Intelligence Analysis Training

Request More Information

Please enter contact information followed by your questions, comments and/or request(s):
  • Please complete the following form and a Tonex Training Specialist will contact you as soon as is possible.

    * Indicates required fields

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Request More Information

  • Please complete the following form and a Tonex Training Specialist will contact you as soon as is possible.

    * Indicates required fields

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.