The Average North American, EU, UK, and Caribbean Citizen: Beware if you speak your mind or work for a security-sensitive Employer.
A couple works for an aggressive well known pharmaceutical firm or perhaps the CDC in Colorado or an innovative electronics-communications firm. All are developing top-notch uniquely proprietary concepts, designs, and products. This would be a perfect target for foreign agents hoping to acquire said private and public secrets. But how can this be done?
1. Have a direct agent or friendly join the firm. Direct infiltration would be best as, as it usually does not have all the baggage of an amateur or someone forced to spy for the foreign intelligence service.
2. Co-op someone already employed at these firms. Easily done, since all of us are not saints, and have some sort of personal secret we would like to keep secret. Perhaps the employee is a gambler, addict, womanizer while married, someone who steals from the firm they work for or they are simply still a closed member of the LGBT+ community within a security-sensitive agency. Secrets of others are the basis of all intelligence work throughout history. Acquiring information on someone gives the opposition power to manipulate, threaten and force compliance.
Sources of information in a Digital World:
*. Online…TikTok, Facebook, and other social media tools. Someone puts something online that provides information on their employer, location, activities, family, and social group membership. Say you’re going to Florida for a week, and say so on Facebook, saying how, where, and timing of travel. This provides criminals the ability to case your house and rob it. Pictures of the front lobby alone can provide the type and make of your security system, or if you have one.
Word of Mouth: Your family in China speaks freely and proudly of your promotion, place of business, and what your do, or perhaps personal information that allows the security services in China to locate you, your employer, and what it is you do. If it is of importance, the security system jumps into action to investigate you. Members of Government can face such challenges, as they do throughout the world.
Actions of Provocateur Nations:
a. Acquiring a target, say a member of parliament in Canada who has an extended family in Hong Kong.
The MP also does business with the government and personal needs in Asia.
b. Pin Point means of co-opting MP such as simply telling the MP bad things could happen to his family in Hong Kong without actually doing so. The threat may be enough to get the MP’s attention. Personal contact in Canada through phone calls, emails and even meeting MP at events can follow. A few keywords can let him know he is being watched with interest. Cyber Hacks of the MP’s office and a personal computer can follow. Acquiring all personal information on the target will allow agents to move swiftly within the shadows.
Is the subject financially insecure? Does he gamble or has he roving sexual interests? Can the subject be manipulated in any way?
c. Should the subject not respond visibly, actions against his family in China could happen. Loss of employment or citizen rights such as medical care. Threatening to leak Hurtful information or photos can initiate the manipulation and capture process. Once a subject falls into the intelligence service’s hands, they will be at their complete command. Some go to the authorities, while others commit suicide. Intelligence services can act much like organized crime syndicates, applying fraud, threats, victimization, and harm to their targets.
d. In the case of superpowers such as Russia and China, financial pressures can be used to get what these foreign intelligence services want. The subject’s firm or personal finances are in a mess where an infusion of cash is needed. An agency appears willing to provide a loan. Foreign Banks suddenly show interest in the subject’s financial needs. Say the subject has a business in construction. A group of firms provides profitable work, building up the subject firm’s debt significantly, then holding off paying for work done. Blackmail, fraud, and misrepresentation all are the bailiwick of spy craft. Lack of payment can threaten bankruptcy until someone comes by, offering payment so long as a favor is asked of the subject, for information both corporate, private, or security-based.
e. Intelligence services will look at both short and long-term commitments from the subject. Acquiring a project’s code, or a particular virus can be a short-term investment, but the longer a subject can secretively serve the better. Subjects can be assisted in their professional journeys towards more vital security vital targets. Starting as a doctor, promoted to head the hospital they serve in, the information provided on the subject of medical, pharmaceutical, and governmental, patents can be useful for a foreign government.
f. Like a virus, intelligence gathering and recruitment are unending. Co-opting others can also be a useful procedure for the subject. A list of candidates could be given to the subject of those in their organization most useful to intelligence needs. Acquiring personal, possibly secretive information about these individuals by the subject starts the whole procedure once again.
Methods of maintaining the security and well-being of vital organizations and their employees are kept to keep the tentacles of foreign intrigue away. Investigations into employees’ backgrounds and present-day financial-personal activities are essential. If someone begins placement in a firm with a personal worth of $250,000 and three years later they are worth $2.2 million questions need to be asked. It is simple as that. Security of the population, government, or private concerns demands honesty. Without secrets, intelligence agencies are S.O.L.
Steven Kaszab
438 Simcoe road
Bradford, Ontario L3Z3A1
[email protected]
