Thought-leaders in the security industry frequently prescribe integration as a cure for problems big and small, and the virtues of integrating operations with technology or intelligence are much touted. Little has been said, however, about unifying the security intelligence and investigative functions. Organizations that combine the two, or at least create closer linkages, have much to gain. Institutions pursuing this kind of integration are in a better position to manage risk and are better able to cultivate employee development.

Security intelligence teams are responsible for monitoring and assessing the impact of political, security, economic and reputational issues around the world. They are the first line of warning an institution may have of an impending risk. Investigative teams, on the other hand, are usually concerned with assessing more specific risks, up to and including threats that have already damaged a company. They may be focused on loss prevention, fraud or threats to key personnel, among other tasks, and depending on their mandate, threat assessment or protective intelligence teams can be said to fall under this investigative umbrella as well.