Category:Security and Intelligence Agencies

From Gothpoodle

Espionage in 2100 is a fact of life, with everyone from small companies to great powers involved in it. Strong cryptography has made information transfer potentially more secure than ever before, which has simply increased the need for human spies and double agents. Intelligence agencies spend a lot of effort using AIs to compile data from open sources and to monitor data flow in general. Spy satellites are cheap enough that just about anyone can afford to put one into orbit around Earth, Luna, or Mars.

However, there is a limit to what remote observation and deduction can accomplish. Since few people leave secure data sitting around in unencrypted form on the Web, gaining information held in high-security installations sometimes requires physical infiltration. For example, an intruder may use microbots to crawl in, penetrate the enemy’s filters and anti-microbot swarms, and then physically enter the computer. Another danger is involuntary subversion of employees or agents through implants and uploading. Cautious counter-espionage teams may use regular HyMRI scans and psychological evaluations of key people to ensure no one has tampered with their brains.