Descriptionary

agent authentication providing an agent with per­sonal documents, accoutrements, and equipment that have the appearance of authenticity.

agent-in-play an agent who is actively gathering intelligence while under the direction of enemy intel­ligence services.

agent net an organization for secret purposes that operates under the direction of a principal agent.

ambush the surprise capture of an agent by enemy intelligence.

base a small CIA post.

biographical intelligence intelligence collection concerning foreign personalities.

black referring to illegal concealment.

black, living living under illegal concealment.

black border crossing getting across a border by the use of illegal concealment.

black list a counterintelligence list of enemy collabo­rators, sympathizers, intelligence suspects, and others.

black ops top-secret operations.

black propaganda propaganda that purports to emanate from a source other than the true one.

blow to expose, usually unintentionally, the secret cover of a person, installation, or operation.

bridge agent in the CIA, a messenger who takes a message from a case officer to an agent in the field.

brush pass a surreptitious handoff of a note, mes­sage, photograph, computer disk or other sensitive material between a case officer and an agent.

bug a concealed microphone or listening device.

bugged of a room or object, secretly equipped with a microphone or a listening device.

burn to deliberately expose the secret cover of a person, installation, or operation.

burn notice an official statement of one intelligence agency to other agencies that an individual or group is unreliable.

case officer in the CIA, one who recruits and super­vises agents.

cell a small group of individuals who work together for secret or subversive purposes.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agency of the United States, established in 1947, that gathers inter­national intelligence and conducts counterintelligence programs.

chokepoint any narrow passage, such as a bridge, where agents can easily monitor the comings and goings of a subject.

CIA see Central Intelligence Agency.

CID the Clandestine Imaging Division; a branch of the CIA in charge of photographic and video surveil­lance, and other intelligence gathering.

cipher a secret code or code system. Also, a message written in code or the key to its deciphering.

Citadel, the a secret U.S. government department that gathers and processes signal intelligence from foreign nations.

civil censorship censorship of civilian communica­tions, such as messages, printed matter, and films in territories occupied or controlled by armed forces.

clandestine in secret.

Clandestine Service the CIA branch that carries out secret operations.

classified information information kept secret to protect national interests or national security.

cold war a state of international tension in which political, economic, technological, sociological, psy­chological, and paramilitary measures short of overt armed conflict are employed to achieve national objectives.

collection the gathering of intelligence.

communication deception use of devices, opera­tions, and techniques to confuse the communications link or navigational system of the enemy.

compartmenting the sharing of sensitive informa­tion only among others who absolutely must know, a security method used by various intelligence groups. Vertical compartmenting is the strict limiting of infor­mation up or down a chain of command. Lateral compartmenting is the strict limiting of information among peers.

compromised referring to a breach of security or secrecy.

concealment device any device such as a miniature recorder or camera inside a pen, used to gather and transport information.

confusion agent an agent dispatched to confound the intelligence or counterintelligence of another nation rather than to collect information.

counterdeception efforts to negate, neutralize, or diminish the effects of a foreign deception operation.

counterespionage the detecting, neutralizing, exploitation, and prevention of espionage activities by another country.

counterintelligence any misinformation used to deceive the enemy.

countersabotage action designed to detect and counteract sabotage.

countersubversion action designed to detect and counteract subversion.

courier a messenger or espionage agent carrying secret documents.

cover any type of facade employed to protect one's identity or purpose; a disguise, a phoney job or name, or a made-up excuse for being at a particular sensitive location.