Counter-intelligence

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the record label, see Counter Intelligence.

Counter-intelligence refers to intelligence organizations or efforts designed to prevent enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence. Examples include careful classification and control of sensitive information, actively spreading disinformation to mislead the enemy, and direct targeting of enemy intelligence collection methods and resources.

The related field of counter-espionage is specifically directed against an enemy's human intelligence collection organizations and involves efforts to detect, neutralize, and where possible, exploit the espionage activities of enemy spies. Counter-espionage is specific subset of the counter-intelligence field, and most governments and militaries have organizations charged with these duties. When spying is discovered, counter-intelligence agencies are usually legally empowered to arrest espionage suspects, but it is often more productive to see if the situation can first be exploited by controlling and manipulating what information the spy can collect. If the situation can not be exploited, the spy will be neutralized instead. Of key importance will be discovering what information the spy was able to collect previously, and assessing what damage may have been done. Disinformation can also be used to deceive inimical organizations' (such as terrorist groups) or foreign spies and their handlers, or make them cease their activities if they learn their information has become unreliable or their existence has been compromised. Intelligence and counter-intelligence activities occur not only between governments but also between commercial industries as well as between law enforcement and criminal groups.