An intelligence agency is a governmental organization devoted to gathering of information (known in the context as "intelligence") by means of espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. The assembly and propagation of this information is known as intelligence analysis.
Intelligence agencies are also involved in defensive activities such as counter-espionage or counter-terrorism.
Some agencies are involved in assassination, arms sales as well as coups d'état and other covert operations, in order to support their own or their governments' interests, and the placement of misinformation (propaganda).
See also
- Intelligence (information gathering)
- List of intelligence agencies
- List of intelligence gathering disciplines
- HUMINT or human intelligence
- SIGINT or signals intelligence
- COMINT or communications intelligence
- ELINT or electronics intelligence
- IMINT or imagery intelligence
- OSINT or open source intelligence
- MASINT or measures and signatures intelligence
- United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
- Mukhabarat
- Secret police
- Security agency
- Secret Service
External links
- Intelligence News
- Outsourcing Intelligence
Category: Intelligence agencies
