Humanity’s struggle against crime and threats has remained remarkably consistent throughout history, even as the nomenclature and manifestations evolve. What was once banditry is now cybercrime; espionage takes on new forms in the digital age. Yet, the core principles of protection, deterrence, and investigation often echo across time. Those who have battled these challenges in the past, under different guises, possess a unique historical perspective. Similarly, the perpetrators of today constantly innovate their countermeasures, making unorthodox methods, often with an element of surprise, incredibly effective. This inherent truth highlights a critical oversight in many of our intelligence and security institutions: the underutilisation of two invaluable resources.
We often liken our current intelligence institutions to “currently used libraries” – essential, active, and fundamental to our daily operations. However, beyond these immediate resources lie vast, often untapped reservoirs of knowledge and potential. Reference is made to retired intelligence and security officers as “abandoned libraries”. These individuals, with their decades of hands-on experience, have accumulated insights that transcend institutional records and codified knowledge. When they pass, they are rightfully eulogised as titans of their fields, yet during their retirement, their profound wisdom often remains dormant.
Conversely, our up-and-coming intelligence and security officers are like “burning libraries” – brimming with energy, fresh perspectives, and often more attuned to the nuances of contemporary threats. Their ideas, though sometimes unconventional, hold immense potential, like having digital copies instead of physical books. Sadly, their innovative approaches can often be stifled by traditional hierarchies and methodologies, their flames of potential not fully embraced, or even extinguished, before they can truly illuminate new paths.
Tapping into the Wisdom of “Abandoned Libraries”
Imagine the impact if retired officers are actively engaged in a structured, consultative capacity. Their deep understanding of past successes and failures, their intuition honed over countless investigations, and their ability to connect seemingly disparate pieces of information could offer groundbreaking perspectives on current security challenges. This isn’t about challenging the authority of current leadership; rather, it’s about establishing a consultative mechanism where their suggestions are presented as valuable recommendations for consideration.
Countries Embracing This Approach:
While specific programs are often classified for security reasons, it’s widely understood that countries like Israel and the United States frequently draw upon the expertise of their former intelligence chiefs and operatives.
- Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet are known for maintaining strong informal and formal networks with their alumni. The experience of former officers is highly valued, and they are often consulted on strategic matters, providing historical context and unconventional thinking. This is particularly true in areas like counter-terrorism and regional analysis, where long-term trends and nuanced understanding are paramount [1].
- In the United States, while less formalised publicly, retired high-ranking intelligence officials often transition into advisory roles within think tanks, private security firms, or even directly consult with government agencies on an ad-hoc basis [2]. Their insights are considered crucial for understanding evolving threats and shaping future strategies. These engagements often provide a less bureaucratic avenue for sharing critical, often intuitive, knowledge that might not be captured in formal intelligence reports. For instance, former CIA Director Michael Hayden has continued to provide public commentary and strategic insights post-retirement, often drawing on his extensive experience [3].
Igniting the Potential of “Burning Libraries”
Equally crucial is creating an environment where the voices of our younger officers are not just heard, but actively sought out. These individuals, often digitally native and immersed in the latest technological trends, possess unique insights into the methods and motivations of modern adversaries. Their fresh perspectives can challenge traditional approaches and lead to truly innovative solutions. This must be done without undermining the chain of command, ensuring their contributions are seen as valuable input for consideration rather than direct directives.
Countries Fostering Innovation Among New Officers:
While public examples are scarce due to the sensitive nature of intelligence work, many forward-thinking intelligence agencies are quietly fostering innovation from within their junior ranks.
- Estonia, a leader in cybersecurity, has a strong culture of leveraging its young tech-savvy talent within its intelligence and defence sectors. They actively encourage hackathons, internal innovation labs, and inter-agency collaborations that allow younger officers to propose and develop cutting-edge solutions to cyber threats [4]. This horizontal integration of ideas ensures that new technologies and methodologies are quickly integrated into their operational frameworks.
- Certain NATO member states are increasingly investing in “innovation hubs” and “futures cells” within their intelligence communities. These initiatives often deliberately staff younger, digitally proficient officers who are given mandates to explore emerging technologies, unconventional intelligence gathering methods, and new ways of analysing complex data, thereby fostering a culture of continuous evolution from within [5]. This approach is often driven by a recognition that traditional hierarchical structures can stifle the rapid adaptation needed in today’s threat landscape.
A System for Unlocking Collective Wisdom
To truly harness the power of both our “abandoned” and “burning” libraries, a robust, anonymous decision-making process for addressing specific security challenges is proposed:
- Phase 1: The Initial Proposals
For a given security challenge, retired officers are invited to anonymously submit two to three proposals based on their extensive experience. These proposals are then collected and curated, merging similar ideas to create a comprehensive set of unique concepts.
- Phase 2: The Collective Review
All curated proposals are then made available to the group of participating retired officers. Each participant is given a fixed number of tokens to anonymously “like” or “dislike” proposals, crucially stating their reasons for doing so. This ensures thoughtful engagement beyond a simple vote.
- Phase 3: Analysis and Prioritisation
The proposals are then rearranged from most liked to most disliked. Special attention must be paid to proposals with an equal number of likes and dislikes, as these are inherently controversial and warrant further, perhaps facilitated, discussion to understand the underlying rationale for the division of opinions.
- Phase 4: Recommendations for Consideration
Finally, the top-n number of proposals (e.g., the top 3-5) are formally submitted as recommendations for consideration to the institutional leadership.
Anonymity throughout this process is paramount; it prevents “head-following,” the formation of cliques, and encourages genuine, independent thought based on merit rather than seniority or personal relationships.
Same processes could also be made for new officers on matters that are deemed fit for their input, where they will also finally propose some recommendation for consideration by their leadership.
By implementing such a system, our “abandoned libraries” will be transformed into active repositories of wisdom and empower our “burning libraries” to ignite new solutions. This isn’t about discarding current methods, but about enriching them with the depth of experience and the spark of innovation, ensuring our intelligence and security institutions remain agile, effective, and always a step ahead.
References
[1] P. K. Davis and D. J. Gompert, The Role of Experimentation in Building Future Warfare Capabilities. RAND Corporation, 2018.
[2] A. B. Carter, “The Pentagon’s New Normal: Keeping the Best Minds in the Fight,” Foreign Affairs, July/August 2015.
[3] M. Hayden, “Former CIA Director Michael Hayden on the Future of Intelligence,” Council on Foreign Relations, 2021.
[4] S. Kello, “The Estonian Cyber Doctrine: Protecting a Digital Society,” Journal of Cyber Policy, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-19, 2017. [5] NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. Annual Report. (NATO documents frequently highlight initiatives for innovation and adapting to new threats, implicitly relying on the input of younger, tech-savvy personnel for future capabilities).
