The author explores the origins of “big data” and how the phenomenon was able to spread to a wider audience through parallel technological advances in computer hardware and the open source movement. The article focuses specifically on the progress made by Google related to a series of papers published from 2003 to 2006 that were instrumental in the development of other major tech companies that were able to create provide technical support, making the process of deciphering big data more accessible. The paper then examines how this “democratization” has affected the national security community by providing better intelligence at a lower cost.