Intelligence is an activity all states engage in. It is about finding information about possible threats to be better prepared. 

Historically, it has been about revealing what others have wanted to keep hidden, and then utilizing this knowledge to their own advantage. Nowadays, perhaps it is all about giving good analyzes and predictions to decision makers. Because the methodology has been partly hidden, it is also a myth-driven activity. It is also analytically interesting because it touches on important issues of war, peace, democratic control, freedom and security.