A person who commits espionage is called an espionage agent or spy. Any individual or spy ring (a cooperating group of spies), in the service of a government, company, criminal organization, or independent operation, can commit espionage. The practice is clandestine, as it is by definition unwelcome.
Do you have what it takes to become secret agent?
Secret service agent positions typically require candidates to have earned a GPA between 3.0 and 4.0 as well as be a member of an honor's society. If you don't hold a bachelor's degree, you may be considered for a position as an agent with a minimum of three years of experience in law enforcement. 2. Apply for an open secret service agent position.
How do you get to be a secret agent?
Part 3 of 3: Going Undercover
- Learn about the cultures and political climate of the places you'll be embedded. ...
- Get a good cover story and make local contacts. It's likely that you'll be set up with a new fake identity when you're going into the field.
- Get to know your target. ...
- If you want to spy, you should blend in with crowds and communities so it seem like you belong. ...
What is it like to be a Secret Service agent?
What is it like to be a Secret Service agent? Having a job as a special agent with the United States Secret Service is exciting and it's also hard work. Not only are the men and women of the Secret Service serving the country by helping to protect the nation's leaders and financial systems, but in the process, agents are required to travel a ...
What is the job description of a Secret Service agent?
- Ensuring the safety and protection of the President and Vice President
- Safeguarding the immediate families of the President and Vice President
- Providing Ex-Presidents and their spouses with lifelong protection
- Guarding visiting Heads of States and other high profile foreign visitors

What are spy agents called?
A person who commits espionage is called an espionage agent or spy.
What is a CIA spy called?
Contrary to popular belief or what is seen in film and television series, US-born, professional employees trained to work as Intelligence Officers for the National Clandestine Service (CIA) are never referred to as "secret agents", "spies", "agents" or "special agents", they are known as 'Operations Officers' or 'Case ...
What is a professional spy called?
The title “Spy” isn't really used anymore. Instead, you're now called a Covert Investigator or, more broadly, a CIA Agent. Whatever the title, it means you investigate and protect US interests abroad. You investigate things like terrorism, fraud, corrupt governments, and a wide variety of other crimes.
What types of secret agents are there?
There are five kinds of spy: The local spy, the inside spy, the reverse spy, the dead spy, and the living spy. When the five kinds of spies are all active, no one knows their routes - this is called organizational genius, and is valuable to the leadership. Local spies are hired from among the people of a locality.
Is being a spy a real job?
Although being a spy is not like film or TV depictions, it is a job that dedicated and skilled individuals can pursue if they want to help their country. Several government agencies employ intelligence officers, meaning there are multiple career paths.
Who are MI6 agents?
Agents are at the heart of what MI6 does. Usually foreign nationals, they voluntarily work with us to provide secret intelligence that helps to keep the UK - and often the rest of the world – safe and secure. One of our intelligence officers' major roles is identifying, recruiting, and running these agents.
What is the salary of a CIA spy?
Salary Ranges for Cia Spies The salaries of Cia Spies in the US range from $21,447 to $577,997 , with a median salary of $103,816 . The middle 57% of Cia Spies makes between $103,820 and $261,392, with the top 86% making $577,997.
How do you become a CIA spy?
Candidates for CIA agent jobs in clandestine services must:Be a citizen of the United States.Be at least 18 years old.Possess a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0.Have strong interpersonal skills.Have a strong interest in international affairs.Be able to write clearly and accurately.
How much money do spies make?
Salary Ranges for Spies The salaries of Spies in the US range from $41,200 to $128,690 , with a median salary of $77,210 . The middle 60% of Spies makes $77,210, with the top 80% making $128,690.
What are the spy ranks?
The rank of the cards is: 1) Informer (lowest rank), 2) Interrogator, 3) Infiltrator, 4) Saboteur, 5) Assassin, 6) Agent, 7) Spy, 8) Double Agent, 9) Code Breaker, 10) Deputy Director, and 11) Director (highest rank). Each game is divided into a number of deals.
Who is the greatest secret agent?
#1 James Bond Was there any doubt that 007 would rank at the top? After twenty-five films, six actors, countless directors and even more martinis, James Bond remains an icon and the benchmark against whom all other movie spies are measured.
What is it called when you spy on someone?
espionage. noun. attempts to discover your enemy's political, military, or industrial secrets using secret methods. Someone who does this is a spy.
Does the CIA have special agents?
The CIA special agents (also referred to as CIA investigators) of the OIG's investigations staff are tasked with conducting high-profile investigations into the CIA's internal operations. These investigative professionals may work alone, within investigative teams, or as leaders of investigative teams.
What is the leader of spies called?
Spymaster – The leader of espionage activities and an agent handler extraordinaire.
What is a female spy called?
Sexpionage is a historically documented phenomenon and even the CIA has previously added Nigel West's work Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage to its proposed intelligence officer's bookshelf. Female agents using such tactics are known as sparrows, while male ones are known as ravens.
How do you become a CIA spook?
If you are interested in a career as a CIA agent, here are some steps you need to follow:Earn a bachelor's degree. ... Consider earning a master's degree. ... Become fluent in one or two foreign languages. ... Gain relevant experience. ... Complete the required testing and medical examinations. ... Finish an internal training program.
Why do special agents work?
Unless specifically assigned to a permanent protection assignment, such as that of the president or vice president, special agents work throughout the United States to ensure our financial systems are safeguarded and free of fraud. However, any agent may be called at a moment's notice to join a protection detail anywhere in the country. As a result, the job necessarily requires a significant amount of travel and irregular hours.
What was the purpose of the Secret Service?
When it was established in 1865, the primary mission of the Secret Service was to safeguard the currency of the United States by investigating instances of counterfeiting.
What is the name of the agency that the President of the United States is in charge of?
Watching, guarding, protecting. They are special agents, members of the United States Secret Service, one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the country.
How old do you have to be to be a secret service agent?
Education And Skill Requirements for Secret Service Agents. To be considered for appointment as a secret service agent, candidates must be at least 21 years of age, be a U.S. citizen and possess a bachelor's degree.
How long does it take to become a special agent?
Upon appointment, candidates for special agent undergo an extensive 27-week training session, spending 10 weeks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia for the Basic Criminal Investigator Training Program and then 17 weeks in Washington, D.C. for the Special Agent Basic Training Program.
Is the Secret Service an investigative agency?
The United States Secret Service has a uniformed division as well as an investigative division. Special agents are members of the investigative division. Protective services is, of course, the best known and most popularized function of the U.S. Secret Service special agent. Believe it or not, though, protection is not the agency's first priority.
Do you need a background check to get a top secret military clearance?
Of course, in addition to the minimum requirements, candidates must be able to qualify for top secret military clearance. As a result, an extensive background check is required, including an in-depth polygraph exam .
What are secret agents?
Secret agents may be all around us, working for government agencies, corporate entities, and private organizations to collect information and report back.
What does a secret agent do in Morocco?
A great secret agent has to be able to charm complete strangers, manipulating them to do what you want. If your target is playing high-stakes poker in Morocco, you've got to be able chat your way past the doorman, ante up, and charm your way into the game.
Why is James Bond not a good secret agent?
1. Be charismatic. James Bond isn't a great secret agent because he was the strongest, sneakiest, or the smartest. What he lacks in traditional action-hero skills, he makes up for in his ability to adapt to himself to the situation and the setting. He oozes charisma.
What do field agents need to know?
You need to study something that will have you involved with global politics. Military experience is also valuable.
Is being a secret agent dangerous?
You have to obey the law perfectly. And, of course, being a secret agent is incredibly dangerous and could result in your death.
How to annoy a Secret Service agent?
The quickest way to annoy a Secret Service agent? Ask them to carry your luggage or grocery bags. “ [Vice-President] Walter Mondale once asked an agent to pick up laundry,” Robinson says. “They don’t do that.”
Who was the president who created the Secret Service?
On the day he was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln approved the formation of the United States Secret Service, a government agency tasked with protecting the integrity of the nation’s currency. In 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley, Congress extended their duties to involve the protection ...
What does the Secret Service do when the President travels?
When the president travels, the Secret Service kicks into overdrive, scouting hotel destinations in an attempt to control a foreign environment. Hotel employees who will be in contact with the government entourage are subject to background checks. “If anyone has a criminal history, the hotel manager will ask them not to come in that day,” Kessler says. The Secret Service will also take over entire floors above and below the president and commandeer elevators for their own private use, which can disrupt a hotel’s business. They’ll even keep an elevator repairman on standby in the event the POTUS gets stuck.
What is the secret service's way of narrowing down their search for subjects?
When the White House receives troubling or threatening hand-written correspondence, agents have a way of narrowing down their search for subjects. Kessler says that the Secret Service, working in tandem with ink manufacturers, maintains a vast database of distinctive “tags” in the ink that can be identified and narro wed to the brand and where in the country it’s sold. “It’s similar to the way explosives manufacturers identify material,” he says.
What does "on protective detail" mean?
Being on protective detail means following the president wherever he or she might go. This includes the bathroom, the doctor’s office, or anywhere that might benefit from a little privacy. “The president is never alone,” Robinson says. “When Reagan was in office, Joe was there for his prostate exams and colonoscopies.
What is Protective Intelligence?
According to 23-year Secret Service veteran Tim Wood, author of Criminals and Presidents: The Adventures of a Secret Service Agent, this is called “protective intelligence.”. Any time someone makes a suggestion of wanting to cause the president harm, every aspect of their lives will be investigated.
Can a vice president refuse the Secret Service?
Presidents and vice-presidents don’t have the ability to refuse Secret Service supervision once they take office, although some can switch to private security detail once they’ve served their term.
What is an intelligence agency?
It includes only currently operational institutions. An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, and foreign policy objectives.
What is the FBI?
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Office of National Security Intelligence (ONSI) United States Department of State. Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) United States Department of the Treasury.
What is the secret service?
The United States Secret Service ( USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government.
Who was the first secret service agent to die while on duty?
A year later, the Secret Service assumed full-time responsibility for presidential protection. In 1902, William Craig became the first Secret Service agent to die while on duty, in a road accident while riding in the presidential carriage.
What was the secret service's first responsibility?
The Secret Service's initial responsibility was to investigate the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was rampant following the American Civil War. The agency then evolved into the United States ' first domestic intelligence and counterintelligence agency.
What are the primary missions of the Secret Service?
The Secret Service is mandated by Congress with two distinct and critical national security missions: protecting the nation's leaders and safeguarding the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States .
How many secret service offices are there?
Main article: List of United States Secret Service field offices. The Secret Service has agents assigned to 136 field offices and field agencies, and the headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Service's offices are located in cities throughout the United States and the world.
When did the Secret Service get a warrant for Steve Jackson Games?
On March 1, 1990 , the Secret Service served a search warrant on Steve Jackson Games, a small company in Austin, Texas, seizing three computers and over 300 floppy disks. In the subsequent lawsuit, the judge reprimanded the Secret Service, calling their warrant preparation "sloppy.".
When did the Secret Service get its jurisdiction over credit card fraud?
In 1984, the US Congress passed the Comprehensive Crime Control Act, which extended the Secret Service's jurisdiction over credit card fraud and computer fraud.
What is an agent in the FBI?
Agent. As an agent, you work secretly for an intelligence service, offering secrets or operational support. While the FBI calls certain officers 'agents', most intelligence services prefer 'officers'.
What is the first rule of espionage?
The first rule of espionage: No one should know anything they don’t need to. Information can leak in all sorts of directions. So keep a tight lid on it. Tell people exactly what they need to know - and no more.
How to disrupt the activities of an enemy intelligence service?
One way to disrupt the activities of an enemy intelligence service is to spread disinformation: falsehoods, rumors, and fake stories. (Not to be confused with misinformation, which is unintentionally false.)
What is a black bag operation?
In a black bag operation, you break into a building to collect intelligence. You might have to pick locks, clone keys, crack safes. Survey and photograph. Plant listening devices. The name comes from the black bags burglars often use to carry their tools.
Why is classified information protected?
Classified information is protected by law from public view, because a government feels it’s too sensitive to reveal. To get to it you’ll either need the right security clearance or another, less official way in.
Why do you need an alias?
You’ll need an alias - a false identity - to conceal a genuine one in the physical or digital worlds.
Do you need Opsec to keep your IP address private?
If you want to keep hold of your secrets and identity, you’ll need good OpSec. That means hiding your IP address, not leaking any personal information, and keeping all your conversations private and not logged.

Job Functions and Work Environment of Secret Service Agents
Education and Skill Requirements For Secret Service Agents
- To be considered for appointment as a secret service agent, candidates must be at least 21 years of age, be a U.S. citizen and possess a bachelor's degree. They must also have demonstrated high academic achievement by earning a GPA of between 3.0 and 4.0 or by being inducted into an honors society. Absent a high GPA, candidates may also qualify if they have prior relevant experi…
Job Growth and Salary Outlook
- Though the Secret Service is not expected to add positions, jobs will become available through natural attritionand retirements, meaning that opportunities will continue to exist for qualified candidates. Special agents are appointed at either the G7 or G9 pay level, and starting salary, including a 25 percent availability pay additive, will range from $54,000 to $94,000 annually depe…
Is A Career as A Secret Service Special Agent Right For You?
- The job of a secret service agent, at first glance, may seem exciting and interesting and can provide a tremendous amount of diversity from day to day. It's not for everyone, though. Working as a special agent will require long hours in less-than-favorable conditions, and agents must make themselves available 24 hours a day, ready to go at a moments notice and prepared to be away f…
Overview
This is a list of fictional secret agents .
This is a list of fictional secret agents .
Comics
• Abbey Chase
• Anacleto, agente secreto, Spanish secret agent in the comic series of the same name
• Captain Francis Blake
• Derek Flint
Books
• Agent X.323 in series of novels "Espion X.323" by Paul D'Ivoi
• Alec Leamas in John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
• Alex Rider, young "informal" MI6 agent in Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series. The series also includes Alan Blunt, head of Tamara Knight
Television/film
• Aaron Cross from The Bourne Legacy, a spin-off film from the Jason Bourne trilogy.
• Adam Carter in Spooks
• Agent 13 from the 1960s spy satire/parody sitcom, Get Smart
• Agent 44 from the 1960s spy satire/parody sitcom, Get Smart
Video games
• Ada Wong, from the videogame series Resident Evil
• Agent 47, from the videogame series Hitman
• Agent Blackbird, Boxer, Deacon, Desdemona, Doctor Carrington, Drummer Boy, Dutchman, Father Clifford, Glory, Helena, Herbert Dashwood, Highrise, Liam "Patriot" Binet, Manya Vargas, Maven, Mister Tims, P.A.M., Ricky Dalton, Songbird, Tinker Tom, Tommy Whispers, Tulip, Victoria Watts, and the Sole Survivor (optional-if you join the Railroad organization) from Fallout 4
Radio dramas
Jason Whittaker from Adventures in Odyssey
Parodies of secret agents
• Agent 327
• Austin Powers
• Boris and Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle
• Brandon Scofield in The Matarese Circle and The Matarese Countdown
See also
• Government
• Emergency
• Police
• United States Border Patrol
• SWAT