Espionage: Difference between revisions

'''Espionage''' or '''spying,''' is the act of obtaining [[Secrecy|secret]] or [[Confidentiality|confidential information]] without the [[Consent|permission]] of the holder of the information. Spies help agencies uncover secret information.<ref>{{cite web|title=Espionage|url=https://www.mi5.gov.uk/espionage|publisher=[[MI5]]}}</ref> Any individual or spy ring (a cooperating group of spies), in the service of a [[government]], [[company]] or independent operation, can commit espionage. The practice is [[clandestine operation|clandestine]], as it is by definition unwelcome and in many cases [[Crime|illegal]] and [[punishable]] by law. Espionage is a method of "[[Intelligence assessment|intelligence]]" gathering which includes information gathering from public sources<ref>Simandan, D., 2018. Iterative lagged asymmetric responses in strategic management and long-range planning. Time & Society, OnlineFirst, https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X17752652 .</ref>.

One of the most effective ways to gather data and information about the [[enemy]] (or potential enemy) is by infiltrating the enemy's ranks. This is the job of the spy (espionage agent). Spies can return information concerning the size and strength of [[enemy force]]s. They can also find dissidents within the enemy's forces and influence them to defect<ref>Fischbacher-Smith, D., 2015. The enemy has passed through the gate: Insider threats, the dark triad, and the challenges around security. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2(2), pp.134-156.</ref>. In times of crisis, spies steal technology and [[sabotage]] the enemy in various ways. [[Counterintelligence]] is the practice of thwarting enemy espionage and intelligence-gathering. Almost all [[Sovereign state|nations]] have strict laws concerning espionage and the penalty for being caught is often severe. However, the benefits gained through espionage are often so great that most governments and many large corporations make use of it.