At its core, Starfleet Intelligence is similar to the more famous intelligence agencies of the past such as the CIA, KGB and MI6 (or SIS). The role of Starfleet Intelligence (SFI) is to provide the Federation with a galactic covert capability to promote and defend the security and well-being of the Federation and its member worlds.

Hierarchically, Starfleet Intelligence maintains a central headquarters on Earth, where senior officers oversee the broad Intelligence mission. The vast majority of Intelligence work, however, is done by the field units, found throughout the Federation. Many field units may be grouped together into a taskforce.

Ultimately, an Intelligence unit is made up of a number of different sections, all with section leaders who report to their Unit Director, who in turn reports to any applicable Taskforce Head, who in turn reports to their designated contact at Intel HQ. A Director may also be required to pass on relevant mission related data to the ranking StarFleet Officer (who in turn reports to their Flag Officer) at their local site. While the work that SFI does is generally inclusive, the end result can have far reaching consequences.

Chief Intelligence Officer

Responsible for managing the Intelligence Department in its various facets, the Chief Intelligence Officer (CIO) often assisted the Senior Staff of a ship with information gathering and analysis, and also acted as a channel of information to the CO and bridge crew during combat situations. The Chief Intelligence Officer would usually liaise closely with Starfleet Intelligence and was issued orders to only disclose information that passed through selected channels on a need-to-know basis.

Deputy Chief Intelligence Officer

The DCIO was second in command after the CIO in the ship's or starbase's Intelligence Department, and could act in their stead at any given time. Should be of Lieutenant rank or above.

Intelligence Officer

The Intelligence Officer reported to the CIO and ACIO in the ship's or starbase's Intelligence Department. As mentioned, the responsibilities which were common to most Intelligence Officers included compiling and analysing intelligence to determine the identities, intentions, capabilities and activities of hostile individuals or groups, and planning or enacting the necessary steps to disrupt or prevent such activities. An Intelligence Officer could also work specifically with recognisance or covert operations.

Senior Intelligence Analyst

The Senior Intelligence Analyst's job is to receive either raw information from sources, or to receive intelligence reports and analysis from other sources. An analyst often specializes in cryptography and algorithmic means of intelligence such as password cracking, keyword flagging, and more.

Intelligence Analyst

The Intelligence Analyst's job is to receive either raw information from sources, or to receive intelligence reports and analysis from other sources. An analyst often specializes in cryptography and algorithmic means of intelligence such as password cracking, keyword flagging, and more.

Specialists

In order to get the best intel, Starfleet Intelligence sometimes relied on non-Starfleet personnel to get what they needed. These specialists could be given provisional ranks as required, as long as their loyalty was proven and they generated the best results.