What is HUMINT?

• A. Intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact; from human sources
• B. Open-source intelligence; information openly available to all
• C. Imagery intelligence from sensors
• D. Signals intelligence from communications and information systems

Answer: (A)

HUMINT is intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact from human sources. In practice, this includes interviews, debriefings, informants, agents, and other forms of direct interaction with people to obtain information. The essence is information obtained through human relationships and observations, not through machines or public data.

Other categories describe different sources: open-source intelligence uses information that is publicly available, imagery intelligence comes from photos or video captured by sensors, and signals intelligence involves intercepting communications and other electronic signals. These reflect non-human means of collection, which is why they do not define HUMINT.