Covert Contact 72: Beyond Russia: Overlooked Counterintelligence Threats

In this August 2017 conversation, podcast regular William J. Tucker joins me to look beyond the intense focus on Russia and examine the wider counterintelligence challenge. We discuss foreign intelligence services, corporate espionage, and the pressures on governments trying to cover persistent threats with limited people and resources.

China, Cuba, and North Korea feature in the discussion, along with collection by allies such as Israel and France. We consider why diplomatic relationships do not eliminate competing interests, and how international crises can intensify efforts to learn what the United States is thinking. William also cautions against letting perceptions of North Korea obscure its intelligence capabilities.

The conversation moves from government priorities to the risks facing businesses, inventors, and bloggers. I describe the difficulty of assessing unsolicited research inquiries, and we discuss how an apparently routine approach can be used to identify contacts or cultivate access. We suggest using official academic email addresses and identifiable faculty contacts to make student inquiries easier to assess. Job interviews and facility tours can also expose information an organization may not intend to share.

We close with the importance of education and basic awareness. William emphasizes recognizing suspicious behavior instead of concentrating on a single country. People may be approached for their knowledge, their perceived access, or their connections to someone else. Understanding why you might be a target is a starting point for taking practical precautions.

This episode was originally released on August 28, 2017. Political references and assessments reflect the discussion at that time.