The History of Traffic Analysis – WWI – Vietnam Part 1 of 8

Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is a major segment of the intelligence discipline, and communications intelligence (COMINT) is a subset of SIGINT. In turn, “traffic analysis” (T/A) is a significant part of COMINT while also useful in other aspects of SIGINT.

This post defines and explains traffic analysis when used in this context, as part of the broader discipline of signals intelligence.(1) The post describes the elements of T/A and explains how T/A has been used for several purposes including to produce intelligence information, to aid cryptanalysis, and to support the collection of additional data. It then presents examples of intelligence contributions made by T/A during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War.