Internet Intelligence and Investigations Officer

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports. Home Office Intelligence brings together a number of existing teams involved in the collection and analysis of border and immigration related intelligence. It delivers Intelligence Collection, Development, Analysis, Targeting (Data Analytics) and Watch listing capabilities within the Home Office and to its partners across Government and Law Enforcement. Learn more on the HO Intelligence careers page. This is a role within Home Office Intelligence directorate (2 x Heathrow and 2 x Newcastle) and presents an excellent opportunity to be involved in a developing area of intelligence work, helping to set the direction of the team and draft policy and guidance. The Home Office Intelligence - Internet Intelligence and Investigations Unit (HOI-III) through the use of specialist software and analytical tools are responsible for the investigation of social media and online platforms to identify threats and criminality concerning organised immigration and border related crimes. The team identify and exploit online opportunities in order to reduce harm to the UK by maintaining an up-to-date understanding of internet-based technology and emerging trends relating to covert user techniques, social media, and mobile applications. You will work closely with other law enforcement partners and colleagues to support intelligence and investigative advancement through intelligence capture and other key supportive tactics such as analytical profiling. HOI III unit plays a critical role in supporting Immigration Enforcement (IE) and Border Force (BF) by providing advanced open-source intelligence capabilities, ensuring a comprehensive and integrated approach to intelligence and operational activities across departments. HOI-III is structured into four key operational functions:

• Collections and Insight: This function is responsible for providing insights that address both strategic and tactical intelligence requirements across IE and BF threats. It supports decision-making by delivering actionable intelligence based on comprehensive analysis of open-source data. The team also provides horizon scanning on emerging threats to ensure proactive measures are in place.
• Lead Generation: Focuses on collecting and developing intelligence from all layers of the web, while integrating intelligence from both open and closed data sources. This intelligence is then used for further tasking and/or disruption activities, ensuring proactive measures against emerging threats are undertaken.
• Development Support: Provides specialist III support to ongoing IE and BF SOC operations by leveraging the units advanced capabilities. This function ensures that current operations benefit from the latest intelligence and technological advancements in open-source information gathering.
• Innovation, Assurance, and Governance: This function ensures the continuous improvement of III capabilities across IE and BF through innovation, maintains high standards through assurance activities, while overseeing Open-Source governance to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Training Successful candidates will be placed in one of the four teams post training and in house mentoring based on the operational needs of the unit. Working Pattern Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. A shift role undertaking earlies, mid and late shifts (between 0700 and 1900 hours Monday to Sunday).,
• Undertaking initial assessment of intelligence to establish what Open-Source research is required, in line with local, regional, and national priorities as well as threat and risk levels.
• Ensuring all intelligence is handled in accordance with legislation and Intelligence Manual Standards
• Providing ongoing intelligence support for complex criminal investigations including mapping and disclosure
• Managing high-harm cases with an appropriate risk management plan
• Identify intelligence gaps and ensure that any new patterns of abuse are quickly and accurately reported in order to inform the monthly/annual threat assessment process.
• Drafting reports and summaries to the required standard
• Prioritising and allocating your time in line with the agreed development strategy and department priorities.
• Creation of high-quality intelligence packages and products
• Dissemination of high-quality intelligence products in the appropriate format
• Ensuring that research and intelligence reports are accurate, and that intelligence is sanitised correctly, including the quality assurance and compliance of intelligence products where relevant.
• Identifying, collecting, and developing internet based open-source intelligence as well as effectively report on findings from surface, deep and dark web environments.
• Identifying and understanding the wider threat landscape.