[h=1]Espionage[/h] From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Spy" and "Secret agent" redirect here. For other uses, see
Spy (disambiguation) and
Secret agent (disambiguation).
For other uses, see
Espionage (disambiguation).
Espionage or
spying involves a government or individual obtaining information that is considered
secret or
confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently
clandestine, as it is taken for granted that it is unwelcome and, in many cases illegal and punishable by law. It is a subset of
intelligence gathering—which otherwise may be conducted from public sources and using perfectly legal and ethical means. It is crucial to distinguish espionage from
intelligence gathering, as the latter does not necessarily involve espionage, but often collates open-source information. When successful, however, espionage always produces intelligence.
Espionage is often part of an institutional effort by a
government or commercial concern, however the term is generally associated with
state spying on potential or actual enemies primarily for
military purposes. Spying involving
corporations is known as
industrial espionage.
One of the most effective ways to gather data and information about an enemy (or potential enemy) is by infiltrating the enemy's ranks. This is the job of the spy (espionage agent). Spies can bring back all sorts of information concerning the size and strength of an enemy army. They can also find dissidents within the enemy's forces and influence them to defect. In times of crisis, spies can also be used to steal technology and to
sabotage the enemy in various ways.
Counterintelligence operatives can feed false information to enemy spies, protecting important domestic secrets and preventing attempts at subversion. Nearly every country has very strict laws concerning espionage, and the penalty for being caught is often severe. However, the benefits that can be gained through espionage are generally great enough that most governments and many large corporations make use of it to varying degrees.
