AGENT/ASSET Person obtaining intelligence for an intelligence agency, under control of a case officer
BLOWN/BURNT Spy who has been exposed
BRUSH PASS Momentary person-to-person contact to pass intelligence
BUG Covert listening or recording device
CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE Canada’s foreign intel service
CASE OFFICER Staff officer of an intelligence agency
COS Chief of a CIA station posted to a US Embassy
COUNTERSPY Intelligence officers charged with uncovering spies. FBI. MI5.
DOUBLE AGENT An agent believed to be working against a target country but is actually loyal to that country
DRY CLEAN To evade surveillance
EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION Kidnapping of spies or terrorists for interrogation
LEGAT Legal attaché, FBI agent attached to a US embassy
LEGEND Life story created for a covert agent
MOSSAD Israel’s spy agency
MI6 British Secret Intelligence Service (external)
NOC Non-official cover, CIA equivalent of Russian illegal agent
PAROLE Password used to confirm identity between agents
RSO A US Embassy’s regional security officer
SAFE HOUSE Place where spies can hide from hostile security services
SLEEPER Deep cover agent
TARGET Person, place of intelligence interest
TRADECRAFT Mechanics of/proficiency in espionage