# Network Illumination **Entity class:** Intelligence analytic function **Network illumination** is the process of collecting, correlating, and analyzing evidence to make previously hidden or ambiguous nodes, relationships, activities, and dependencies in a [[wiki/Threat Network|threat network]] more observable. DTRA's 2019 strategy describes capturing, cataloguing, linking, and illuminating adversarial activity across scientific and technical exploitation disciplines. Illumination is an observability problem rather than a claim that the reconstructed graph is complete. Identity errors, missing data, deception, collection bias, and temporal change remain part of the state estimate. ## Relationships - **supports:** [[wiki/Counter-Threat Network|Counter-Threat Network]], [[wiki/Entity Resolution|Entity Resolution]], and [[wiki/Link Analysis|Link Analysis]]. - **feeds:** [[wiki/Counterterrorism Predictive Graph|Counterterrorism Predictive Graph]]. - **requires:** [[wiki/Data Provenance|Data Provenance]] and [[wiki/Uncertainty Quantification|Uncertainty Quantification]]. ## Sources - [2019 DTRA Strategic Plan for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation](https://www.dtra.mil/Portals/61/Documents/Missions/190424_2019_DTRA_Strategic_Plan_for_RDTE.pdf) **As of:** 2026-09-23