About this course

Embark on your journey to uncover and disrupt the shadowy world of financial crime with this foundational course—an essential part of the Illicit Finance Investigations bundle. Designed to set you on the path to becoming a financial crime fighter, this course provides the critical knowledge and practical skills you’ll need to excel in the field of financial intelligence.

Criminals and illicit networks use increasingly sophisticated techniques to launder money, commit fraud, and finance illegal activities. As part of this learning package, you’ll dive deep into the methods used to exploit financial systems—and develop the expertise to stop them in their tracks.

This course serves as a key stepping stone in your journey toward mastering the art and science of investigating illicit finance. By focusing on the building blocks of financial intelligence, you'll gain:

  • Core Expertise: A solid foundation in the principles of financial crime, including how to identify, analyze, and report suspicious activities.
  • Analytical Tools: Practical training to detect patterns, track financial flows, and uncover the hidden tactics used by criminals.
  • Real-World Insights: Hands-on learning with case studies illustrating how investigators successfully dismantle financial crime networks.


Part of a Comprehensive Learning Experience

As part of the Illicit Finance Investigations bundle, this course integrates seamlessly with advanced modules, creating a structured pathway for developing your expertise. Whether your goal is to work as a financial intelligence analyst, an investigator, or in a related field, this program ensures you’re equipped with the skills needed to succeed.

Your guide

Instructor Bio:

Jessica Davis, PhD is an international expert on terrorism and illicit financing, President and Principal Consultant with Insight Threat Intelligence, and President of the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies. She is an award-winning researcher who works to bring evidence-based solutions to the private and public sectors to counter illicit financing and terrorism. Before founding ITI, Jessica worked for the government of Canada in various roles in the Canadian Armed Forces, Global Affairs Canada, FINTRAC, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. She is the author of Illicit Money: Financing Terrorism in the 21st Century (2021) and has published extensively in the Globe and Mail, Just Security, Lawfare, and in academic journals. Jessica is a sought-after instructor for anyone looking to enhance their analytic and investigative skills.

Jessica Davis

Intelligence and Security Expert

Your guide

Instructor Bio:

Elena Martynova is a Senior Research Analyst for Insight Threat Intelligence since 2022 where she develops financial profiles on terrorist organizations and terrorist attacks. She is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellow, pursuing a PhD focused on the private sector and European Union counter terrorism. Previously, she was a Senior Policy Analyst with the Canadian government and an officer with the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. She has experience working on national security legislation, developing anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing initiatives, as well as organizing capacity building programs for financial intelligence units, banking supervisors, and reporting entities around the world. Elena has worked on several unique projects to help combat the illicit financial flows associated with the illegal wildlife trade, online child sexual exploitation, and other international crimes. She is certified in the essentials of cryptocurrency assets.

Elena Martynova

Senior Analyst

Financial Intelligence Fundamentals

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome

    2. Reflection

    3. Learning Outcomes

    1. What is Financial Intelligence?

    2. Financial Intelligence Glossary

    3. Who works with FININT, and what is it used for?

    1. Types of FININT

    2. Why levels of analysis matters

    3. Tactical Financial Intelligence

    4. Tactical Financial Intelligence - Answer Key

    5. Moving from Tactical to Operational Financial Intelligence

    6. Moving from Tactical to Operational Financial Intelligence - Answer Key

    7. Strategic Financial Intelligence

    8. Strategic Financial Intelligence - Answer Key

    1. The intelligence cycle

    2. The financial intelligence cycle & collection plan

    3. Financial intelligence collection plan

    4. Create a financial intelligence collection plan

    5. Financial intelligence collection plan - Answer Key

    1. What you need to know to be a good financial intelligence analyst

    2. Financial Intelligence Fundamentals Summary

    3. Reflection

    4. FININT Fundamentals quiz

    5. Lesson Feedback

    6. Financial Intelligence Sources

    7. Other Courses and Resources by Insight Threat Intelligence

About this course

  • $125.00
  • 26 lessons
  • Length: 2-3 hours
  • 3 skills
  • 5 resources

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe financial intelligence

  • Understand and describe how FININT fits into an intelligence cycle

  • Understand and describe different types of FININT (tactical, operational, and strategic)

  • Integrate FININT into an all-source intelligence collection plan

What students are saying:

“I enjoyed the course and gained a solid understanding of how a Financial Intelligence investigation is conducted. As someone with a background in communications and journalism, I appreciated learning new techniques to uncover information. The course was well-paced, and the materials were clear.”

Hal Doran, Government

“Thank you for this practical and hands-on training course. I really enjoyed taking it, especially with the inclusion of practical examples to apply the concepts learned. I look forward to the next, more advanced course."”

Yasser Abdelaziz, Government

“The Financial Intelligence Fundamentals course provided great lessons in the basics of financial intelligence. It was a helpful introduction to the key concepts and how they fit into the intelligence cycle."”

Anonymous

“I found the Financial Intelligence Fundamentals course informative, especially the Zhang case study, which effectively connected theory with practical exercises. It provided a strong foundation in financial intelligence."”

Anonymous

“The Financial Intelligence Fundamentals course provided a thorough understanding of the different types of financial intelligence and how they fit into the intelligence cycle. The learning outcomes were clear and well-structured, making it a valuable educational experience.””

Anonymous

“This course provides learners with the fundamental tenets of financial intelligence, its role in the intelligence cycle, and why understanding FININT is important across various industries and occupations. It provides clear guidance alongside hands-on elements to reinforce the learning process. Students of all experience levels can learn something new and find ways to immediately apply the sources, methods, and skills to their current job, volunteer work, or personal development.”

Amy B

“Great training, suitable for any level of expertise and highly recommended for Financial Crime investigators. It encourages thinking outside the box beyond what is provided by KYC and Transaction Monitoring records, while adding structure to analysis. The exercises were well designed and aligned with real-life use cases.”

Francisco Mainez, Garbo Intelligence (UK)

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course and found it well worth the price. The analysis assignments were particularly engaging and provided a great opportunity to apply what I learned. The glossary was also a valuable resource, helping me understand the key terminology in the field. Overall, it was an excellent learning experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their knowledge in this area. ”

Anonymous - Higher Education Administration

“A very good course for building foundational and intermediate knowledge.”

Anonymous

“I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot! I appreciated the voiceovers. Overall, it was a great learning experience.”

Anonymous

This bundle is also available as part of Insight Academy Pro