Counter-espionage and counter-proliferation
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Why espionage and proliferation?
Being informed on a timely and correct basis is often decisive for success or failure both in vocational and private life. Such an information advantage is crucial to states as well. Collecting overtly available information, for instance, is one of the most important and legitimate tasks of foreign... Further information
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Who engages in espionage activities?
In the Federal Republic of Germany, numerous foreign intelligence services sometimes use conspiratorial methods in their activities, with the intelligence and security services of the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Iran and some other states of the Near and Middle East as well... Further information
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What objectives do foreign intelligence services pursue?
Intelligence services act on behalf of and under the control of their respective governments. Hence, the national leadership's political priorities also determine the focal objectives to be pursued by the intelligence services, which – in this context – collect intelligence from various fields... Further information
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How do foreign intelligence services operate?
In Germany, many countries have diplomatic and consular representations, with some of them housing so-called legal residencies, meaning the basis of a foreign intelligence service for which an official (e.g. embassy, consulate general) or semi-official (e.g. press agency, airline) representation in the host country serves as cover... Further information
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How does the BfV operate?
To counter espionage and proliferation, the BfV collects and analyses information on efforts posing a threat to security and on intelligence-related activities. Such illegal activities of foreign intelligence services represent a major attack on Germany's security interests.
First, it is important... Further information
