Counterintelligence is ... Military counterintelligence. Than intelligence differs from counterintelligence

Throughout the entire historical development of mankind, various wars of different scale took place. Some arose because of resources, others - because of ethnic dislike, others became a successful political move. But one way or another, in any war people are dying. At the turn of the century, "scientists" in the field of military art began to come up with ways to minimize human losses in various military conflicts. In the process of finding a solution to this problem, a lot of ideas arose. All sorts of machines were invented that allowed people to hide during a battle, tactical methods, diplomatic moves, etc. But this all could not be compared with reconnaissance. Military spies and spies were actively used during the War of Independence of the United States, and after that in other military conflicts. Over time, professional intelligence organizations began to appear in virtually all world states. But, along with this, the experienced military understood that not to admit spies and scouts to the enemy's territory is also an important task. Thus there was a counterintelligence service.

What is counterintelligence?

To date, counterintelligence is a specific activity of certain state services that are authorized to detect and suppress intelligence or espionage activities, special agencies and agents of foreign states. The existence of such tasks in many ways distinguishes it among other military departments. Thus, counterintelligence is also a combination of state services whose purpose is to prevent intelligence activities on the territory of the state. Counterintelligence organizations very often deal with related tasks: combating terrorism, dissidence, surveillance, order protection, protection of state security. Quite often the question arises, how is intelligence different from counterintelligence? Before answering it, it is necessary to analyze the development of antispyware activities and the bodies that conduct it, on the territory of modern Russia.

The history of domestic counterintelligence

The history of counter-intelligence activity on the territory of modern Russia dates back to the Great Patriotic War. Counterintelligence SMERSH today is the subject of constant discussions and disputes, as well as an excellent topic for feature films. Nevertheless, half a century ago, Smersh terrified even the domestic soldiers. This abbreviation is the name of several independent and completely independent counterintelligence organizations, acting with the same goal - to prevent foreign espionage. SMERSH included the following services:

1. Management "Smersh" of the People's Commissariat of Defense - military counter-intelligence organization.

2. Management "Smersh" People's Commissariat of the Navy.

3. Special Department "Smersh" in the internal affairs bodies.

The counterintelligence of the USSR was largely developed thanks to the Second World War, as evidenced by the further development of this activity in the Soviet services.

SMERSH Tasks

Since counterintelligence, this subdivision that was one of the main cogs that helped to win a protracted and exhausting war with Hitler Germany, SMERSH faced specific tasks, namely:

- Struggle against scouts, spies and terrorists in units, institutions of the Red Army.

- Fighting against people who preach an anti-Soviet ideology.

- Creation of the necessary regime, in which the forces of foreign intelligence can go beyond the front line.

- Fight against traitors to the homeland and deserters.

- Detailed check of persons who were in captivity near the enemy.

- Performance of special tasks.

To perform its functional tasks, the SMERSH counterintelligence service had the following rights:

- Create an agent network.

- To conduct searches, seizures, and also to listen to persons who are suspected of espionage.

- Conduct investigative measures.

- Conduct operatively-search measures for catching and tracking down foreign spies.

Personnel SMERSH was created for the most part from employees of special departments of the NKVD, because they already had the experience of operational-search work. But the counterintelligence was also recruited by the military.

Further development of counterintelligence

After the end of World War II, counterintelligence began to develop in a different way. First, military operations were no longer conducted, and the government of the USSR had no need to catch all sorts of terrorists sabotaging the rear. Nevertheless, the spying activity of foreign countries flourished, because no country needed a strong and developed USSR. Thus, military counterintelligence has become less popular and in many ways delegated its functions to the K Office of the State Security Committee. Throughout its history, the committee has conducted a large number of operations. The staff managed to identify many agents of foreign intelligence services. Counterintelligence of the KGB for a long period of its existence has developed innovative methods of conducting operational search activities in this industry. Many tactical methods are still used in the counterintelligence services of the FSB, but this is a little later. Many modern historians believe that the "longevity" of the Soviet Union largely depended on the existence of professional and mobile counterintelligence services.

In modern Russia, the counterintelligence of the FSB has existed since 1995. The service is rightfully considered to be the successor to the KGB, as many aspects of the activity were borrowed from the latter.

FSB - the general concept

Earlier we found out that counterintelligence is a special activity to disclose espionage and expose agents of foreign services who carry out such activities. For today in the Russian Federation the similar is engaged by Federal security service. The FSB is a special agency, or more precisely, an executive body that performs special tasks, with the aim of ensuring the security and state integrity of the Russian Federation. It should also be noted that the security service has the right to conduct investigative, operational and search activities, as well as an inquiry. Nevertheless, reconnaissance and counterintelligence activities are a priority in the FSB's system of functions. An interesting fact is that the security service does not have a departmental monitoring body. The FSB directly reports to the president of the Russian Federation.

This body was established in 1995, when the President signed the Federal Law "On the Bodies of the Federal Security Service in the Russian Federation". This normative act to this day is the main legal source of the FSB's activities along with the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Activities of the security service

Counterintelligence and intelligence are not exclusive activities of the FSB. Before the service is also a number of other functional tasks that determine the existence of several activities, namely:

- Combating terrorism.

- Combating crime, which takes on a particularly dangerous form.

- Protection of the state border and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.

- Ensuring the security of information.

Some functions are stipulated by the existing legislation of Russia. For example, taking into account the development of corruption links in the highest echelons of state power, an important area of the FSB's activities is the fight against corruption. To understand how intelligence differs from counterintelligence, it is necessary to consider the functional characteristics of these directions separately. Also important is the issue of the personnel supply of the FSB, because this factor directly affects the quality of the tasks performed by this body.

Personnel for the FSB

Counterintelligence and Intelligence - These are two examples of time-consuming activities that require the involvement of a large number of employees. Therefore, the FSB bodies everywhere complete their personnel with military personnel and civilian personnel. As a rule, servicemen with officer ranks, from the border service and other branches of the armed forces are involved. Along with this, there are specialized educational institutions, in which professionals are trained for the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. In addition to basic physical training, FSB officers must have a sufficiently high psychological and mental capacity, because counterintelligence and intelligence activity requires above all extraordinary tactical and analytical abilities.

Counterintelligence activities of the Federal Security Service

Russian counterintelligence is represented by two services that are part of the FSB. The first is the Federal Counterintelligence Service, and the second is the military counterintelligence service under the FSB of the Russian Federation. Counterintelligence of the FSB is necessary to identify and suppress the intelligence activities of agents of foreign special services, as well as private organizations and individuals. The FSB also takes care of the activities of foreigners who collect information in order to damage the political regime, territorial integrity and security of the Russian Federation. In the media to date, little information about the counterintelligence units of the FSB. For example, the existence of the Department of Counterintelligence Operations became known only after the identification of CIA agent Ryan Foghl. In addition, the security services clearly separated the scope of work against certain foreign services. The mentioned DKRO Department of the FSB is a structural unit whose employees are engaged exclusively in identifying spies and fighting the CIA. Given the high level of secrecy on the basis of which counterespionage of Russia is directly produced, it is very difficult to judge the activities of special bodies in this field. Nevertheless, the actual disclosure of the foreign agent, as mentioned above, indicates the high professionalism of the counterintelligence officers of the FSB.

Counterintelligence of Russia - structure

The Federal Security Service has developed a sufficiently effective and reliable structure for the counterintelligence service, which operates with a share of small changes to this day. The structural element, service, is headed by the chief of counterintelligence. Further division occurs on the management and departments, which are entrusted with the performance of certain special functions. Thus, the structure of the counterintelligence service consists of the following elements:

- Department of Counterintelligence Operations.

- Office of coordination, analysis of counterintelligence activities.

- Management of special events.

- Department of Military Counterintelligence.

- Office of counterintelligence activities at the sites.

- Information Security Center.

The created structure allows quickly, accurately and effectively perform the functional tasks of the FSB counterintelligence service.

What is military counterintelligence?

At present, military counterintelligence units also exist in the Russian Federation. It should be understood that this particular type of activity differs in many respects from classical counterintelligence. The latter is most often aimed at identifying foreign spies in peacetime, when they collect information on the economy, combat capability, and state security. Military counterintelligence is carried out by military departments (in Russia - by the Department of Military Counterintelligence). Most often this activity is carried out during wartime, in order to prevent the collection of information on the armament and combat potential of the state. However, even taking into account the various tasks, the methods and methods of military counterintelligence are in many respects similar to its classical form. Next, we'll look at a similar military term, and also try to answer the question of how intelligence differs from counterintelligence.

Intelligence - unlike counterintelligence

So, in the article we found out that counterintelligence is, roughly speaking, activity against intelligence. There are many differences between these two activities. To understand how intelligence differs from counterintelligence, it is necessary to consider the concept of the latter. Modern historians of special services decipher intelligence as an activity aimed at collecting and processing information about the enemy's manpower, its defenses, its economic and combat potential. Intelligence is carried out with the help of special tactical and operational methods. Thus, intelligence is the collection of information, and counterintelligence is the activity to suppress the first.

In conclusion, it should be noted that counterintelligence is the key way to protect the defense capability of the state in the modern world. As the evolution of reconnaissance techniques improves and counterintelligence, which indicates the overall development of the military art of mankind. In addition, a great contribution to the development of such activities is due to scientific work in the field of studying methods and tactics of counterintelligence.