Soviet term for deception operations designed to influence behaviour or opinion in the target country. Methods range from media manipulation and use of front organisations, support for paramilitaries and guerrillas, kidnapping, and even assassination.

An agent embedded in a strategic position and able to pass on useful information.

Unforeseen and undesirable results from a covert operation, rebounding on the originating agency with possible negative impacts on the security of networks or operations.

Used to expose a leak by planting different versions of sensitive information with suspects and seeing from the response of the target organisation which one has been passed on.

Agent used as a go-between to keep an espionage network compartmentalised and to maintain security. An essential tool of intelligence, designed to minimise the number of people “in the loop”. Sometimes used simply to describe someone used as a pawn.

Spy posing as an informant or defector, who surreptitiously collects intelligence or supplies disinformation to a target agency. Sent by his or her own country to approach a hostile intelligence agency abroad in the hope of being recruited in order to work as a double agent.

A spy purporting to work for one country while actually on the payroll of another. As a conduit for disinformation, the double agent pretends to spy on an organisation but is, in fact, loyal to it. Often the result of an agent being “turned”, through threats or financial incentives.

Clandestine rescue operation to remove an agent or defector and his or her family from danger.

Soviet term for an agent assigned to delegations travelling abroad to forestall defections.

Randomly generated mathematical code for one-off use in encrypting secret messages. A one-time pad makes a coded message effectively unbreakable.