Different sectors of the Intelligence Community use terms interchangeably, however not all terms and definitions are consistent in the Intelligence Community, as such, be aware that the terms provided in this glossary are to assist in understanding the articles, blogs and writings on this website. This page will periodically be revised as required, please check back often to keep up to date on the latest terminology.

Access: the ability or status of an agent, asset or source to the source of information or investigation. An example is a person who holds a position in a government facility that a foreign government is interested in.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Agent: an individual who works for, but is not employed by an intelligence organization to provide information, through direction and tasking. This term is used more often by American, British and Australian intelligence organizations. See also Asset and Source.

Analysis: the process of assessing and comparing information from multiple sources, agents, assets in order to further clarify and verify the accuracy of that information.

Area Familiarization: The act of becoming familiar with the area of operational activity. Knowing the streets and locations of where operational activity will occur. This is also known as operational reconnaissance.

Asset: A method of information collection, this can be, but is not limited to a person, a technical collection method, or some other form of information collection. See also Source and Agent.

Big Time Operator or BTO: often used as a derogatory term in the intelligence community, for an intelligence officer who believes they are more capable than they are, or who believe they have contributed or accomplished more than any other intelligence officer.

Burn Bag: A bag in which classified documents are stored that can be combusted to destroy all the contents.

Black bag job: an operation to implant or acquire something from a targeted location. This could include the implantation of a bug or the removal or copying of documentation.

Black Operations: (aka Black Ops) Clandestine operations that performed with the intention of ensuring they are not attributable to the intelligence organization that has performed them.

Blowback: Any operation by an intelligence organization that is discovered and has repercussions for the government of that organization.

Blown (aka Burnt) When an intelligence organizations operations are discovered or an agent, asset, source or intelligence officer is discovered, and their cover is no longer sustainable.

Bona Fides: Documents used to confirm a false identity or position. Examples include passports, birth certificates, awards, degrees, etc.

Brush Pass: an extremely brief exchange or provision of something, between two individuals. This could include an asset, agent, source and intelligence officer, or two intelligence officers. Typically, this occurs without any conversation between the two parties and from the perspective of the casual observer, the two parties did not come in contact and do not know each other.

Bug: (aka an implant) A tiny electronic or digital device used to record something. This could include, but is not limited to, conversation or video.

Camp X: The secret training base located near Whitby, Ontario, Canada where covert agents and radio communications operators trained during the Second World War.

Case Officer: (aka Handler, Controller, Intelligence Officer) The officer who runs, recruits and manages agents, assets, or sources and performs the duties surrounding operations in relation to this work.

Centre / Center: A cold war era term for the headquarters of the KGB.

Central Intelligence Agency: American Intelligence agency tasked with collecting foreign intelligence.

Chicken Feed: Accurate, but low level, non-damaging, information used to entice a foreign government into believing that they have an agent, asset or source of some legitimacy.

Clandestine: term used in relation to most if not all intelligence operations. To occur secretly, kept secret, occurring surreptitiously.

Clandestine: kept secret or done secretly. Often used in relation to operations that occur without the knowledge of a foreign government.

Classified: information that is designated into different levels to ensure access is limited. Reliable, Enhanced, Secret, Top Secret, For your eyes only, are examples of levels of classification. Typically, the higher the level of classification, the lower the number of individuals with active access to the file.

Cleanse: to cleanse oneself is to ensure that no one is following you or aware of your activities, whereabouts or routing. This is often used in relation to meetings or carrying out operational activity, like loading or unloading a dead letter box.

Cobbler: older British term referring to a forger of passports, birth certificates and other documentation used for agent, asset, source or intelligence officer cover.

Code: The obscuring of a message using substitution. Words, numbers, symbols, or entire messages can be conveyed by substituting them using a code. This can happen through a pre-arranged mutual understanding of the meaning, or by implementing a code book.

Code name: A name given to an agent, asset, source or operation. Code names are used to ensure that the need-to-know principle is enforced, and the information remains classified.

Counterespionage: The operations of an intelligence agency used to penetrate and collect information against foreign intelligence agency.

Counterintelligence: Actions by a intelligence organization protect against and prevent a foreign government or intelligence agency from penetrating and collecting information on personnel, equipment and installations.

Counterproliferation: The actions of an intelligence organization to prevent or slow the advancement of weapons of mass destruction. This can include, but is not limited to; nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

Countersurveillance: Techniques used by an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or other component of an intelligence organization that assist in detecting surveillance by a foreign intelligence organization, terrorist organization, or interested party. This could include the media, a private investigator, jealous spouse or lover. Countersurveillance is used to ensure that an intelligence operation is unseen, unnoticed and retains its integrity against scrutiny.

Courier (aka cut out): An agent, asset or source that acts as an intermediary between another agent, asset and source and an intelligence officer.

COMINT: Communications Intelligence. Information collected for the interception of communications. The NSA, CSE, GCHQ are all organizations that deal with COMINT information.

Compromised: See Burnt, Blown. Referring to an intelligence operation, agent, asset, source, or spy where some aspect has been exposed or identified by another party or individual. This could include, but is not limited to a foreign government, media, associate or casual observer.

Controller: see Handler. An interchangeable reference to an intelligence officer who manages agents, assets, sources. A controller can also refer to an intelligence officer or a case officer who manages several other intelligence officers running and managing agents, assets, sources and spies.

Cover: a fictious, but plausible story used to allow an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source, or spy to conduct activities and actions without garnering attention from others.

Cover: false identity, or story used by intelligence officers to allow for action and activities that do not call attention to their actual motives. Cover can take on many aspects, including cover for action, (the apparent reason someone is in a certain place, doing a certain thing). An example would be. The intelligence officer’s cover for action was that they were having a coffee while waiting for the bus. In reality, the intelligence officer was watching a target enter a travel agency across the street. This allows the intelligence officer to collect information without arousing suspicion.

Cover team: a term used in surveillance for a team or team member responsible for ensuring an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy is clean prior to an operational activity taking place. (see also Source team)

Dangerous / Denied Operational Environment (DOE): A Dangerous Operating Environment is one in which the conditions are hazardous to health and safety of the agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy. This can be war zone or a place of such political unrest where any operational activity places participants at great risk of injury or death.
A Denied Operational Environment is one in which the level of concern surrounding the operational activities being identified by a hostile intelligence organization is so high that any operational actions taken is likely to be discovered and negative repercussions are severe.

Dangle: (see double agent) refers to the use of an individual, typically employed or working for an intelligence organization who offers assistance or information to a foreign intelligence organization. This is done with the intention of providing misinformation or gaining further insight into the foreign intelligence agency’s capabilities, intentions or access.

Dumpster dive: The collection of discarded material in the anticipation of collecting information on the individual, organization or group.

Dead Letter Drop / Box: A location where correspondence is left and retrieved to communicate between an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy. Used to reduce the risk of face-to-face communications or communications through other means, (examples: phone, email, text, etc). A dead drop can be for one time use and a dead letter box most often refers to a location that is used for more than one transfer of information, documentation or money. Dead Letter Drops and Boxes are required to be loaded and unloaded and paroles are typically put into place to ensure that both parties are aware when the drop / box is loaded and unloaded.

Deep cover: The infiltration an maintenance of an individual under the employ of an intelligence organization to a business, group or organization for an extended period of time. This can be from years to careers. Some intelligence organization’s place deep cover operatives into business, groups and organizations upon completion of their training. This allows for the individual to have a minimal, if any, footprint with the government of the intelligence organization and deniability on the part of the operative to the government and further the intelligence community on the whole.

DGSE: (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure) The French Foreign intelligence Service.

Similar to the CIA, BSIS, and ASIS.

Disavowed: A term used to describe when an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy or their actions are denied by an intelligence organization.

Dissemination: (part of the intelligence cycle) the sharing of intelligence by an intelligence organization. This could be to other organisations within the government, other intelligence agencies or to policy makers.

Disinformation: Information provided for the purpose of misleading another group, organization or foreign intelligence agency.

Double Agent: See Dangle. An agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy who is recruited to work for another (typically foreign/ considered hostile) intelligence organization to work against their own organization.

Espionage: a general term referring to the operational activities of the intelligence community to collect information against foreign governments.

Exfiltration / Exfiltration Operation: The act of removing an agent, asset, diplomat, intelligence officer, source, or spy from an environment which is detrimental to their cover (or cover of the operation), health, and welfare.

False Flag: an operation that is conducted under the identity of another intelligence organization or country. Specifically if a target of recruitment is anti-American, a recruitment effort may be taken under the guise of British, Canadian, or Australian Intelligence organization.

Feedback: (Part of the Intelligence Cycle) After the dissemination of information, clients of the dissemination will provide feedback regarding their agreement, interest and further requirements on the intelligence provided.

Federal Bureau of Investigation: (FBI) American Intelligence and Law enforcement Agency. The FBI is responsible for internal security and counterintelligence against foreign intelligence organizations operating on American soil.

Flaps and Seals: Typically, a division within an intelligence organization that is tasked with the surreptitious opening and closing of physical correspondence including, but not limited to: envelopes, seals and secure pouches. This can and often includes diplomatic correspondence.

Ghoul / Ghouling: An individual who, or the practice of, using the information of deceased individuals to acquire documentation or information to use for cover. This includes referring to obituaries or going through graveyards and cemeteries to view headstones. A foreign agent will attempt to find the name and date of birth of someone who is in close age to themselves and who may have died at an early age. They will then assume this identity and build their cover around this individual’s life, acquiring birth certificates, passports, degrees or any bona fides required / desired.

Handler: (see Case officer, Controller, Intelligence officer) An individual employed by an intelligence organization who is tasked with managing agents, assets, sources or spies. The term handler is (in my opinion) most accurate as dealing with agents, assets, sources and spies is an occupation in which you are required to handle several aspects of HUMINT all at once. You seldom control any aspect of HUMINT, you simply try to handle situations as they arise.

Honey Pot / Stick /Trap: This term refers to using some form relationship with the agent, asset, source or spy (or a potential contact for future use) to manipulate them to act in ways which are beneficial to the intelligence officer, case officer, handler. Traditionally this term related to the use of sexual favours or a sexual / romantic relationship. The idea being that the trap / pot / stick was so sweet the intended target wouldn’t want to stop the relationship. This term can also be used in reference to a non-sexual, romantic relationship in which a target of recruitment becomes enamoured with or wishes to maintain some form of relationship / friendship with the case officer, controller, handler, or intelligence officer.

HUMINT: Intelligence derived from the collection of information and tasking of human sources.

Human Source: See Agent, Asset, source or spy. A human source is an individual who provides information to an intelligence organization. Human sources can be witting (they know that they are providing information to a certain intelligence agency) they can be unwitting (they are unaware that they are providing information to an intelligence organization) or semi witting (they are aware that their information may be going to an intelligence organization) but they are unaware who or which intelligence organization. I am also aware that the term conscious and unconscious source / agent / asset is also used, although I find this terminology odd as it precludes to the level of how awake the agent / asset / source is.

IMINT: Intelligence derived from images. This relates to Spy planes, satellites and photography.

Infiltration: The clandestine insertion of an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy into an area place or position without detection.

Insider Threat: The risk that any organization, group or intelligence agency can be infiltrated and compromised by a trusted agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy. The potential that anyone working for or who has access to an intelligence organization can be used against that organization (see Mole).

Intelligence: The end product of the analysis, validation, coordination and evaluation of information collected from a source of information including an agent, asset, source or spy. Intelligence is also used as a blanket term for the profession of espionage or collecting information of highly important and secretive nature using deceptive and surreptitious means. This can occur between governments or against groups or individuals that pose a national security threat, or between governments and companies that hold intellectual property of significant importance, or between companies that compete in the same or similar industries.

Intelligence Officer: (see Case officer, Controller, Handler) an individual trained to conduct intelligence operations and employed by an intelligence organization to recruit, manage and collect information from sources. Typically, these sources are human.

Legend: (See Cover, Cover story) The background and biographical details of an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy. The backstopping documentation or accomplishes relating to a cover story.

Listening post: A location where monitored and intercepted signals or conversations are stored or collected.

MICE: An acronym for Money, Ideology, Compromise and Ego. The term is used to describe various was agents, assets, sources and spies are motivated to provide information to a foreign intelligence organization.

Mole: An individual who is either currently working in, or gains access to an intelligence organization and subsequently compromises that organization by betraying it and provides information to a foreign intelligence organization.

Mossad: Israel’s external / foreign intelligence service. The name is derived from the Hebrew abbreviation for The institute for Intelligence and Special Operations. This intelligence agency works similarly to the CIA, BSIS, and ASIS.

Naked: a dated intelligence term referring to an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy who is conducting operational activity without cover, diplomatic status or backup.

NOC: Non Official Cover (See also: deep cover) A CIA term referring to an individual who is employed by their agency who is conducting operations with no official affiliation to any an government or country.

National Security Agency (NSA) The American Signals and Communications (SIGINT and COMINT) interception intelligence agency. Jokingly referred to as “No Such Agency” in intelligence circles.

One time pad: A set of writing pads that use certain encryption and decryption only once. This helps to ensure that the ciphers cannot be broken.

Operative: A general term to describe an individual who is employed and working for an intelligence agency.

Operational Security or OPSEC: The meathods, means, tactics and techniques surrounding the security of intelligence operations. This can include, but is not limited to communications, meetings, travel, and conveyances used in a clandestine operation. 

OSINT: Open-Source Intelligence. The intelligence derived from the collection and analysis of open-source materials.

Paroles: Words, or sometimes actions, to clarify the identity or status of an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy to one another. Paroles can be passwords or phrases between two individuals in operational activity that confirms the status of surveillance. An example is, “ I hate it when I get dirt on my new shoes” – meaning, I believe I’m being watched or the operation has been compromised. The other party may respond “you should wash that off before it stains” meaning, the operational activity is called off until further notice, you’ll be contacted soon. Paroles can also be signs such as an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy carrying a large blue shopping bag in their left hand, indicating that they have the information and are ready to be met or picked up.

Persona non grata: (also known as PNG’d) Latin for an unwelcome person. This term refers to a diplomat or member of an embassy, or consulate who has been caught spying and is being forced to leave the country by the host government.

Plaintext: The message before or after it is encoded or decoded.

Playback: Providing false information (see misinformation) to an intelligence organization while gaining accurate information from them.

Pocket litter (aka Business card cover): This term refers to easily accessible items that lend to the cover story of an agent, asset, intelligence officer, source or spy’s cover. Usually a slim cover that can be compromised if further scrutiny occurs.

Provocateur or Agent Provocateur: Someone who attempts to incite action of a group or organization with the intention of having that group or organization caught, discredited or embarrassed by their action.

Raven: (See honeypot/ stick / trap) a male agent, asset, source or spy who uses sexual / romantic relationship to gain favour and manage a target, recruitment, agent, asset, source or spy.

Rolled-up: Refers to an operation being discovered or compromised, and the operatives subsequently being detained or arrested by the host government or authorities where the operational activity has taken place.

Safehouse: A location used for clandestine meetings that is believed to be unknown to the foreign intelligence agency.

Secret Writing: special inks and papers used for clandestine communications. Typically, some process or agent (chemical) is used to reveal the message.

Sanitize: (aka Redaction) the removal of information from official reporting to prevent identification of intelligence sources or methods used in the collection of information.

Shoe: older term for a false passport.

SIGINT: Intelligence Collected from captured or intercepted Signals. NSA, CSE, GCHQ work in SIGINT.

Situational Awareness: The ability to observe and understand your surroundings so as not be caught unaware or off-guard. This is an important aspect of surveillance and countersurveillance activities or when conducting any operational activity.

Sleeper: A term for an agent, asset, source or spy who lives in a foreign country, has usually acquired citizenship in that country and is only activated if a situation develops where they tasked to perform a certain action. This could include, but is not limited to, sabotage, information collection, operational assistance or assassination.

Spy: An individual who is under the direction and tasking of an employee of an intelligence organization (typically, a case officer, controller, handler, intelligence officer). A spy is not officially affiliated to a government organization or intelligence agency.

Swallow: (See Raven, Honeypot / stick / trap) A female agent, asset, source or spy who uses sexual / romantic relationship to gain favour and manage a target, recruitment, agent, asset, source or spy.

Target: An individual, group or objective by an intelligence organization to acquire access to information or investigate these groups that have been identified as a threat to that country’s national security. A target can be a foreign intelligence organization, a terrorist organization, a domestic organization with the intention to act against the interest of or attempt to over through the legitimate political, administrative and electoral institutions, of that country with violence, the threat of violence. Or any member of these groups.

Tradecraft: The methods, techniques, devices and procedures used to conduct clandestine operational activities by an intelligence organization.

Walk-in: (See Dangle, Double Agent, Mole) an individual who states their intention to provide information and work for a foreign intelligence organization. This can and usually does happen when a government employee walks into an embassy or consulate with classified information to prove their access and motivation.

Wet work:  A general term relating to a clandestine assassination. The term comes from the wetness of blood that is spilt by the victim.