Students at the CIRAT center

Center for Intelligence Research Analysis and Training (CIRAT)

The Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT) provides students with applied experience and resources to hone their skills in the various intelligence, data science, and cybersecurity fields.

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Green badge with CIRAT printed in large letters, wrapped in black banner that reads Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, & Training, as well as the Mercyhurst Logo underneath it

The CIRAT has worked with more than 300 government entities, private sector companies, and nongovernmental organizations on real-world projects, giving nearly 1,300 students marketable applied experience in their fields of study before they graduate. Student analysts gain real-world skills in competitive intelligence, strategic intelligence, tactical intelligence, data analytics, and cyber security by working with the following different types of companies across the nation and internationally:

  • National security organizations
  • U.S. government agencies
  • Private sector businesses
  • Law enforcement groups
  • Competitive intelligence organizations
  • Nongovernmental organizations

     

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Students in CIRAT lab
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Students looking at a screen
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Student looks at CIRAT

CIRAT analysts are mentored by experienced staff and faculty within the disciplines in which CIRAT operates. The CIRAT team is composed of undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of majors across the university, including:

Guardian Programs and Production Labs

The Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training consists of three Guardian Programs and three production labs, allowing students to gain experience in different areas of intelligence, data science, or cybersecurity.

Guardian Programs

    Watch is a program that monitors and analyzes a dynamic list of client indicators on a global scale. Some capabilities include geopolitical risk analysis, air and marine monitoring, as well as comprehensive open-source research.

    SAINT works to actively engage the surrounding community and NGO clients to help combat human trafficking, kidnapping, and runaway situations for at-risk persons by directly applying Mercyhurst University's student talent in cyber security, intelligence analysis, and data science with access to state-of-the-art technology.

    The Rewards for Justice (RFJ) is a DOJ program that generates useful information that protects Americans and furthers United States national security. The program offers rewards for information on terrorism, foreign-linked interference in U.S. elections, and foreign-directed malicious cyber activities against the U.S.

Production Labs

    The Business Intelligence and Innovation Lab (BI2) team empowers corporate security practitioners and their executives with the ability to ingest information both quickly and efficiently by breaking down said information into manageable and actionable levels. Through the utilization of both open-source intelligence (includes mitigation of all technical and topical risks) and business information analysis, the members of BI2 can create and leverage intelligence-driven security, risk research, and tools to assist corporate security leaders in identifying and communicating information that is relevant to both security and risk management for private sector businesses and industry. 

    The Innovation Entente Lab (IEL) is a northwest Pennsylvanian Innovation Beehive Network member focused on providing competitive business intelligence products, data science solutions, and cybersecurity support (free of charge) to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the greater Erie region and northwestern Pennsylvania.

    The Intelligence Fusion Lab (IFL) is a production lab outfitted with the capability to provide strategic and competitive business intelligence through open-source research methods to collect, process, analyze, and distribute professional products to real-world clients. Strategic intelligence services involve the analysis of geopolitical events, adversaries, and courses of action development while defining operational landscapes and offering potential outcomes in months or years to come. Competitive business intelligence focuses on the private sector and offers insight into the competitive landscapes of a business, the competitive advantages and disadvantages, supply risk and security, and the effects of geopolitical-driven issues. The IFL also provides experienced student analysts, data scientists, and cybersecurity majors who work to support daily company intelligence/information operations directly.

Partners

The CIRAT is proud to be partnered with:
•    SEC
•    SCIP
•    Federal Resources Corporation
•    Dell
•    Vizru
 

Member Organizations

The CIRAT is a member of a number of different professional organizations, including:

Services Provided

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  • Strategic Intelligence

    Students identify networks and victims, provide resources for law enforcement, and develop intelligence-based activities to detect and report intelligence information about foreign or domestic developments that could indicate a threat to U.S. security, political or economic interests, or the private sector. Services offered include anti-money laundering, anti-human trafficking, and indications and warnings.

    Close-up of students sitting at a table at the CIRAT
  • Competitive Business Intelligence

    Students learn about the competitive landscape of a business environment and hone market and social media analysis skills. Using a variety of analytic techniques, they determine the internal capabilities of a business and impact of the external environment. Services include competitive landscape, market analysis, social media analysis, and supply chain risk identification and management.

    Students typing away at computers in the CIRAT lab
  • Country, Threat, and Vulnerability Assessments

    Students identify and analyze the capabilities of malicious actors in and outside the U.S. They learn about country and regional assessments and geospatial intelligence, as well as apply a variety of analytic techniques to understand each party’s motives. Students analyze and forecast what a country or region will look like at a specific time based on factors that affect the operational environment. Services include country/regional assessments and geospatial intelligence.

    Students pointing at a map on a shared computer in the CIRAT lab
  • Direct Operational Support

    CIRAT supplies analysts to provide direct operational support to companies and government entities, which set the daily scope of work required based on their analytical needs and projects. Mercyhurst analysts provide required information, data, or feedback, per reporting guidelines set by clients. 

    Student gathering data using tablet and laptop
  • Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)

    Students utilize their Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) training and education to safely exploit the surface, deep, and dark web, including the vast social media digital landscape. They follow Tier 0, Tier 1, and Tier 2 research and collection methods and tradecraft, including the capability to properly conduct managed attribution, which is used to mitigate both topical and technical risks. 

    Student holding phone, assessing the vast social media digital landscape
  • Data Science Support

    Students serve as key informants for decision-makers in both the public and private sectors. They assess, evaluate, and respond to decision-makers' needs and requirements, collecting, storing, and querying data from a variety of sources. 

    Student shaking hand with a decision-maker with a city behind them
  • Cybersecurity Support

    Students are introduced to data analysis, cyber threat assessments, and digital forensics, through which they obtain, organize, and transform data for storage, exploration, visualization, and analysis. Students learn to assess and recover stolen digital information from a security breach and trace a breach to its source to prevent further malicious activity. Their work also empowers them to identify potential and future cyber threats and understand how to defend against them.

    Student assessing digital information on a computer in the CIRAT lab
  • Other Services Offered

    The CIRAT offers services, in addition to the ones it offers in Strategic Intelligence; Competitive Business Intelligence; Country, Threat, and Vulnerability Assessments; Direct Operational Support; Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT); Data Science Support; and Cybersecurity Support it provides for its clients. These services include custom analysis, program evaluation, test bed analysis, as well as certification and course development.

    Students gathered at table in the CIRAT lab