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259:. Case officers emphasize the elements of tradecraft that enable the agent to acquire needed information, and enable the case officer to communicate with and supervise the agent. Most importantly, case officers train agents in methods of avoiding detection by host nation counter-intelligence organizations.
331:, meaning how to establish credible pretexts for their presence and behavior while engaged in collection activities. A well-trained and competent agent can conduct his or her clandestine tasks while under close surveillance, and still evade detection. More advanced agent training can include resistance to
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By definition, an "agent" acts on behalf of another, whether another individual, an organization, or a foreign government. Agents can be considered either witting or unwitting, and in some cases, willing or unwilling. Agents typically work under the direction of a principal agent or a case officer.
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If principles of intelligence tradecraft have not been strictly observed, it is also possible that compromised agents can reveal information that exposes other members of the network. In the real world of espionage, human lapses are very much the norm, and violations of the principles of tradecraft
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A primary purpose of intelligence organizations is to penetrate a target with a human agent, or a network of human agents. Such agents can either infiltrate the target, or be recruited "in place". Case officers are professionally trained employees of intelligence organizations that manage human
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Using a principal agent as a cut-out, and ensuring that the human agent network is organized in a cellular fashion, can provide some protection for other agents in the network, as well as for the principal agent, and for the case officer if an agent in the network is compromised. Assuming that
323:, photography and the emplacement of audio devices, sensors, or other transmitters. Case officers generally train agents one at a time, in isolation, including only those elements of tradecraft needed to penetrate the target at hand. Case officers will also teach agents how to develop
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Sometimes, agent handling is done indirectly, through "principal agents" that serve as proxies for case officers. It is not uncommon, for example, for a case officer to manage a number of principal agents, who in turn handle agent networks, which are preferably organized in a
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A case officer is an intelligence officer who is a trained specialist in the management of agents and agent networks. Case officers manage human agents and human intelligence networks. Case officers spot potential agents, recruit prospective agents and train agents in
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have been strictly observed by the principal agent and the agents in the network, compromised agents will not be able to identify the case officer, nor the other members of the network. Ideally, agents may work side by side in the same office, and conduct their
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The identification of potential agents is termed "agent spotting" (also termed "talent spotting"). Identifying potential agents, and investigating the details of their personal and professional lives, involves the granular verification of their
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Approaches to potential agents can be multitudinous and considerable time can pass before the potential agent is maneuvered into a position where a recruitment "pitch" can be hazarded.
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382:, Thomas Patrick Carroll, Syllabus, 5 September 2006 – 24 October 2006—many good definitions with historic examples and timely discussion of problems; in outline form.
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If an agent is able to resist interrogation for a defined period of time, the odds improve that other members of the network can be alerted to the compromise.
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collection activities with such discipline, that they will not realize that they are both engaged in espionage, much less members of the same network.
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agents and human agent networks. Intelligence that derives from such human sources is known by the abbreviation
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When agents work alone, and are not members of an agent network, they are termed "singletons".
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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for the case officer, buffering him or her from direct contact with the agent network.
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Agent training often includes techniques of tradecraft such as clandestine
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379:Human Intelligence: From Sleepers to Walk-ins
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653:Chinese intelligence activity abroad
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263:Agents, spotting, and recruitment
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1210:All-source intelligence
830:Intelligence management
539:Covert listening device
509:Intelligence assessment
904:Operational techniques
859:Special reconnaissance
307:, the construction of
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188:intelligence officers
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1195:Competing hypotheses
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990:Denial and deception
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92:improve this article
1258:Counterintelligence
1173:Technical (TECHINT)
1168:Open-source (OSINT)
1158:Geospatial (GEOINT)
1132:Casualty estimation
321:countersurveillance
309:concealment devices
190:typically known as
1230:Military geography
1215:Basic intelligence
1153:Financial (FININT)
1094:signature (MASINT)
1020:One-way voice link
956:Concealment device
665:Cold War espionage
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18:Agent handler
1035:Surveillance
1025:Resident spy
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544:Cryptography
483:Resident spy
468:Double agent
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299:, including
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90:Please help
85:verification
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52:October 2023
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1107:Geophysical
889:Cell system
876:Clandestine
761:Stay-behind
670:Recruitment
627:Canary trap
525:Devices and
473:Field agent
230:clandestine
1285:Categories
1136:earthquake
1000:False flag
838:Collection
756:Sexpionage
736:COINTELPRO
729:safe house
709:False flag
646:Operations
620:techniques
616:Tradecraft
351:References
313:dead drops
274:bona fides
257:tradecraft
225:tradecraft
148:March 2012
118:newspapers
1291:Espionage
1127:Materials
981:Defection
976:Dead drop
949:black bag
914:Espionage
680:black bag
564:Dead drop
493:Spymaster
417:Espionage
282:blackmail
217:"cut-out"
1187:Analysis
985:Turncoat
932:handling
746:SHAMROCK
599:microdot
502:Analysis
339:See also
291:Training
278:coercion
1134: (
1112:Nuclear
1082:TEMPEST
741:MINARET
685:wetwork
186:") by
132:scholar
42:updated
971:Cutout
922:Agents
776:Global
702:MASINT
697:SIGINT
549:Cutout
433:Assets
428:Agents
345:Minder
327:, and
205:HUMINT
184:assets
180:agents
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1146:Other
1117:Radar
961:Cover
939:Asset
927:field
461:Agent
456:Cover
139:JSTOR
125:books
781:Mass
751:FVEY
478:Mole
319:and
111:news
618:and
170:In
94:by
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