Lessons Learned from Historical Counterintelligence Case Studies

Abstract

This report analyzes lessons learned from significant counterintelligence case studies, including espionage motivation, characteristics of spies, and successes and failures of preventive, protective, and investigative measures. The case studies span a 60-year period between 1941 and 2011, representing cases of both wartime and peacetime espionage. The spies comprise a range of nationalities, including German, Turkish, Swedish, and American. Additionally, the outcomes of the cases vary widely. While some spies were successfully investigated and prosecuted, others defected to another country or evaded suspicion entirely. The information included in these case studies provides a wealth of useful historical data for R&D efforts at Sandia. For example, the information contained in these case studies provides the basis for an ongoing (FY2019) comparative analysis of counterintelligence and insider threat mitigation in nuclear facilities. This page left blank