What is the first step in focusing and integrating the intelligence enterprise?

The first step in focusing and integrating the intelligence enterprise is federating efforts. This involves coordinating and aligning various intelligence activities and resources across different organizations and levels of government to ensure a unified approach towards collecting and analyzing intelligence. Federation emphasizes collaboration and the sharing of information, which is essential for optimizing the effectiveness of the intelligence community.

When federating efforts, stakeholders can consolidate priorities, share resources, and ensure that all parts of the intelligence enterprise are working together towards common goals. This collective engagement enhances situational awareness and improves decision-making capabilities.

In contrast, collecting vast amounts of unfiltered data would lead to information overload without strategic direction, making it difficult to derive actionable intelligence. Evaluating system vulnerabilities is a crucial task, but it primarily addresses specific security issues rather than the broad integration of intelligence efforts. Conducting annual reviews can help assess progress and effectiveness but does not serve as the foundational step for integrating intelligence operations.