Assessment: Friendly discussion with local contacts to assess whether the subject has information of value and to identify any personal attitudes, beliefs, problems or needs that could be exploitable. Elicitation: A ploy whereby seemingly normal conversation is contrived to extract intelligence information of value. Advantages of this technique are: (1) Puts someone at ease to share information, (2) Difficult to recognize as an intelligence technique, and (3) Easily deniable.

Eavesdropping: Listening to other people’s conversations to gather information. Frequently employed in social environments where attendees feel comfortable, secure and, therefore, more likely to talk about themselves or their work. Frequent venues include restaurants, bars, and public transportation. Eavesdropping can occur in a radius of six to eight seats on public transportation or ten to twelve feet in other settings.

Technical Eavesdropping: Use of audio and visual devices, usually concealed. This technique is relatively cost efficient and low risk. Concealed devices can be installed in public and private facilities, such as hotel rooms, restaurants, offices, and automobiles.

Bag Operations: Surreptitious entry into the subject’s hotel room to steal, photograph, or photocopy documents; steal or copy magnetic media; or download files from laptop computers. Often conducted or condoned by host government intelligence, security services, or operatives for local corporations. Frequently done with cooperation of hotel staff.

Surveillance: An act of following the subject to determine contacts and activities. This method is labor intensive, if done correctly, and not usually employed unless suspected of improper activity or a target of great interest.

Theft of Information: Stealing of documents, briefcases, laptop computers or sensitive equipment. Laptop computers are especially vulnerable as they may contain key information. Foreign service has plausible denial since the laptop may have been stolen for the value of the laptop rather than the value of information. This makes it difficult to determine if the information was compromised or not.

Intercepting Electronic Communications: Method of electronically monitoring telephones, facsimiles, and computers. Subject is particularly vulnerable while communicating to, from or within foreign countries, as most foreign telecommunications systems cooperate with their country’s security service. Office, hotel, and portable telephones (including cellular) are key targets.