Counter intelligence projects?

[tbontob]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

You don't want to complete counter-intel projects. They work by using the points stored in them to defeat enemy projects. If you are not spending any points in counter-intel, no stored points in it will be used at all, so always make sure to be spending points in counter-intel at all times.

Ah-so!

Where are the points stored? Do they accumulate if not used?

And what if there are a number of attacks...is it possible for the "stored points" to be overwhelmed and one or more of the intelligence assaults (enemy projects) to succeed?

These may seem like dumb questions...but I want to be sure I got it right!