Counterintelligence

Definition

Counterintelligence (CI) encompasses the activities conducted to protect against espionage, sabotage, and other intelligence activities carried out by foreign powers, organizations, or individuals. CI operations include identifying and neutralizing hostile intelligence services, protecting classified information and critical infrastructure, conducting mole hunts within one's own organizations, and executing deception operations. Counterintelligence operates both defensively (hardening targets, vetting personnel, securing communications) and offensively (turning enemy agents into double agents, feeding disinformation). The counterintelligence mission has expanded in the digital age to include protecting against cyber espionage, supply chain compromises, and insider threats.