In Data We Trust?: The Big Data Capabilities of the National Counterterrorism Center

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) sits as the central nexus for counterterror intelligence analysis and strategy for the entire American intelligence community (IC). It exists to offset the fragmentation issues that came to light in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Its role is to integrate all types of intelligence information using traditional and computational Big Data techniques. Unfortunately, the NCTC is not in a position to take full advantage of contemporary Big Data analytics, severely reducing its analytical capabilities in the current information environment. These weaknesses stem from its organizational structure, not its technological capabilities.
The NCTC’s deficiencies manifest themselves both its internal structure as well as its position within the community as a whole. Internally, the NCTC does not have the information-sharing environment that it should and provides poor incentives for collaboration and innovation. Externally, it has a poorly defined role within the community and lacks the power that is required in order to truly centralize big data analytics. The private sector is leaps and bounds ahead of the government when it comes to the implementation of Big Data analytics. Internet giants such as Google and Facebook may serve as models for future improvements to the NCTC. With full understanding that certain limitations apply to government agencies, this thesis provides recommendations on how the NCTC may improve its ability to take advantage of large-scale data analytics and provide a better service to the rest of the Intelligence Community.