Intelligence That Starts with Your Questions—Not Someone Else’s Static Feeds

Executives don’t ask for “feeds.” They ask:
“Are we exposed?” “What’s the impact?” “How do we respond?”

Today, intelligence teams are under pressure to answer those questions with speed, precision, and defensibility across business units that span cyber, fraud, risk, legal, and physical security.

Stakeholders are asking questions that demand specific, contextual intelligence that generic dashboards simply can’t answer, such as:

• “Is this threat actor targeting our brand, or just mentioning us in passing?”
• “Who is coordinating this disinformation campaign, and how far has it spread?”
• “What does this post on a private forum suggest about physical threats to our regional offices?”
• “What new TTPs are fraud actors discussing in non-English-speaking Telegram clusters?”

These questions require access to original sources, direct tasking, and analyst context that’s aligned to real business decisions. They require Primary Source Collections (PSC).

That’s why Flashpoint just launched a new guide: “Upgrade Your Threat Intelligence: Gain the Primary Source Advantage.”

This in-depth guide explores what Primary Source Collection is, how it works, and why it’s rapidly becoming a standard requirement for any organization that needs tailored insight at speed and scale. Through real-world examples and proven Flashpoint capabilities, this guide shows how Primary Source Collection enables:

• Faster, more relevant answers
• Customizable, defensible intelligence workflows
• Operational flexibility for both government and commercial missions
• De-risked collection infrastructure without the overhead

Purpose-built for intelligence teams under pressure to do more with less, the guide provides:

1. A clear definition of Primary Source Collection:
   Learn what it is, how it works, and how it differs from data aggregation or resale models that can’t meet precise operational needs.
2. A behind-the-scenes view of Primary Source Collection in action:
   Explore the entire intelligence lifecycle and get real-world examples of how organizations use Primary Source Collection for everything from cyber threat investigations to executive protection.
3. A framework for vendor evaluation and operational strategy:
   Learn how to assess your collection capabilities based on their ability to deliver intelligence that drives faster decisions and answers high-priority internal questions.

What Is Primary Source Collection?

Primary Source Collection (PSC) is the ability to collect data directly from original sources, driven by an organization’s unique requirements, not a vendor’s fixed feed.

Unlike aggregation models or resale approaches, Primary Source Collection gives teams access to:

• Sourcing intelligence in real time from closed forums, private messaging channels, fringe platforms, and ephemeral spaces based on the specific questions your internal stakeholders need answered
• Collection aligned to the questions that matter most to your stakeholders
• Insights that are timely, relevant, and tailored to your mission

At its core, Primary Source Collection turns intelligence into a taskable capability, not a fixed feed. It begins with stakeholder requirements and ends with clear, defensible answers to the business’s most urgent questions.

“Primary Source Collection transforms intelligence teams from consumers of generic feeds into drivers of mission-specific intelligence. It’s the difference between knowing an attack is happening in your sector and knowing that your organization is the target.”

Josh Lefkowitz, CEO at Flashpoint

Why PSC Matters: A Force Multiplier for Threat Teams

For modern intelligence teams, Primary Source Collection provides a new approach to an evolving need. By starting with precise requirements and building collections around them, organizations can:

• Deliver faster, more tailored answers to stakeholders
• Expand their value across the business—from CTI and fraud, to brand, compliance, executive protection, and more
• Take control of visibility into emerging risks instead of waiting on vendor-defined roadmaps
• Prove ROI by linking intelligence to specific, high-impact use cases
• Reduce operational and legal risk by understanding where the data came from, how it was accessed, and how it aligns with internal governance

“In today’s threat landscape, speed and specificity are non-negotiable. Static feeds and broad aggregations leave critical gaps. Flashpoint’s Primary Source Collection delivers real-time visibility into closed, fringe, and fast-moving spaces—because the intelligence you act on should be timely, actionable, and reflect your requirements, not be dictated by a vendor’s generic feed.”

Josh Lefkowitz, CEO at Flashpoint

This model reflects a shift in how intelligence is expected to operate: not as a back-office function, but as a front-line partner in business resilience.

Use Cases Across the Enterprise: CTI and Beyond

Primary Source Collection is often viewed through the lens of cyber threat intelligence, but its value doesn’t stop there. In reality, Primary Source Collection supports a wide range of mission-critical functions across an organization. Wherever there’s a need for direct visibility into emerging threats, hard-to-reach sources, or adversarial intent, Primary Source Collection delivers.

Today, organizations are using Flashpoint’s Primary Source Collection to support a wide range of use cases, including:

• Executive Protection: Flashpoint supported the Community Security Initiative in NY, surfacing threats in encrypted chats and helping thwart a potential synagogue attack.
• Fraud Prevention: A global financial institution used PSC to detect stolen and altered checks in underground markets, preventing millions in losses.
• Market Insight: A manufacturer monitored fringe chatter during a geopolitical crisis, adjusting shifts and travel guidance to protect employees.
• Physical Security: A global manufacturer used Flashpoint’s Primary Source Collection to detect protest planning and supply chain targeting in fringe communities, enabling proactive measures that safeguarded staff, protected facilities, and maintained operational continuity.

Gain the Primary Source Advantage

Threats are more dynamic than ever. Internal questions are more specific. And the need for timely, personalized intelligence is only growing. 

Primary Source Collection isn’t just a capability. It’s a new operating model for intelligence. One that starts from the inside out, adapts to your team’s needs, and delivers answers that drive action.

This model works. But only if your vendor can actually deliver it.

Get the full guide to learn how to shift from static feeds to real-time, taskable intelligence with Primary Source Collection.