Index

Agencies

Every agency on the site, sorted alphabetically. Pages marked in progress have stub entries; full references are being written progressively.

Australia flag Video readout available
Australia

Australian Secret Intelligence Service

ASIS

Australia's foreign human-intelligence service, established in 1952 and not publicly acknowledged by the Australian government until 1977.

Australia flag Video readout available
Australia

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation

ASIO

Australia's domestic security service, responsible for counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-foreign-interference, and protection of Australia's national security inside Australia.

Australia flag Video readout available
Australia

Australian Signals Directorate

ASD

Australia's signals-intelligence and offensive-cyber agency, with origins in wartime Australian signals operations and a founding role in the Five Eyes partnership.

Canada flag Video readout available
Canada

Canadian Security Intelligence Service

CSIS

Canada's principal civilian security and intelligence service, established in 1984 to separate intelligence work from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police following the McDonald Commission.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Central Intelligence Agency

CIA

The principal foreign human-intelligence and covert-action service of the United States, created in 1947 as successor to the wartime Office of Strategic Services.

Canada flag Video readout available
Canada

Communications Security Establishment

CSE

Canada's national signals-intelligence and cyber-security agency, with origins in the wartime Examination Unit and a founding role in the Five Eyes signals partnership.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Defense Intelligence Agency

DIA

The Department of Defense's foreign military-intelligence and all-source analytical service, supporting US combatant commands and the Joint Staff.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Department of Homeland Security

DHS

The cabinet department created in 2002 to consolidate US domestic-security functions; its Office of Intelligence and Analysis is the department's Intelligence Community member.

Morocco flag Video readout available
Morocco

Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire

DGST

Morocco's domestic security service, responsible for counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and substantial domestic political-surveillance functions.

France flag Video readout available
France

Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure

DGSE

France's principal foreign intelligence service, reorganized from the SDECE in 1982 and combining human, signals, and paramilitary capabilities under the Ministry of the Armed Forces.

France flag Video readout available
France

Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure

DGSI

France's principal domestic intelligence and counter-terrorism service, raised in 2014 to cabinet-attached status under the Minister of the Interior.

Morocco flag Video readout available
Morocco

Direction Générale des Études et de la Documentation

DGED

Morocco's foreign intelligence service, established in 1973 with a particular focus on the Western Sahara conflict, regional Maghreb relations, and Moroccan diaspora communities.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBI

The principal domestic intelligence and federal law-enforcement agency of the United States, with statutory authority for counterintelligence, counter-terrorism, and federal criminal investigation.

Germany flag Video readout available
Germany

Federal Intelligence Service

BND

The Federal Republic of Germany's foreign intelligence service, with origins in the post-war Organisation Gehlen and a controversial inheritance of personnel from the wartime Wehrmacht intelligence apparatus.

Germany flag Video readout available
Germany

Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

BfV

The Federal Republic of Germany's domestic security service, established in 1950 with a constitutional mandate to monitor anti-democratic and anti-constitutional activity.

Russia flag Video readout available
Russia

Federal Security Service

FSB

The Russian Federation's principal domestic security and counter-intelligence service, successor to the KGB and headquartered at the Lubyanka in Moscow.

Russia flag Video readout available
Russia

Foreign Intelligence Service

SVR

The Russian Federation's foreign intelligence service, direct successor to the KGB First Chief Directorate and headquartered at Yasenevo, southwest of Moscow.

Jordan flag Video readout available
Jordan

General Intelligence Directorate

GID (Mukhabarat)

Jordan's principal intelligence service, reporting directly to the King and widely regarded among Western and regional services for counter-terrorism work in the Levant and the broader region.

Syria flag Video readout available
Syria

General Intelligence Directorate

GID (Mukhabarat)

Under the Assad governments (1971–2024), the principal civilian intelligence service of the Syrian Arab Republic and one of four parallel Mukhabarat services central to the regime's repression and the documented record of war crimes during the post-2011 civil war. The Assad government fell in December 2024.

Saudi Arabia flag Video readout available
Saudi Arabia

General Intelligence Presidency

GIP

Saudi Arabia's principal foreign intelligence service, headed by senior princes of the House of Saud across most of its history and reporting directly to the King through the Royal Diwan.

Egypt flag Video readout available
Egypt

General Intelligence Service

GIS (Mukhabarat)

Egypt's principal foreign intelligence service, established under President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954 and historically a regional intelligence hub for the Arab world.

United Kingdom flag Video readout available
United Kingdom

Government Communications Headquarters

GCHQ

The United Kingdom's signals-intelligence, cryptography, and cyber-security agency, with origins in the wartime Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park.

Iran flag Video readout available
Iran

IRGC Intelligence Organisation

IRGC-IO

The intelligence organisation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, elevated to ministry-equivalent status in 2009 and operating in parallel — and at times in tension — with the civilian Ministry of Intelligence.

India flag Video readout available
India

Intelligence Bureau

IB

India's domestic security service, with origins in the 1887 Central Special Branch of the British Indian Government and one of the world's longest continuously operating intelligence services.

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Pakistan

Inter-Services Intelligence

ISI

Pakistan's principal intelligence service, military-led and unusual among comparable services in combining foreign-intelligence collection, counter-intelligence, and a substantial domestic political role within a single agency.

Iraq flag Video readout available
Iraq

Iraqi National Intelligence Service

INIS

Iraq's principal civilian intelligence service, established in 2004 under US tutelage following the dissolution of the Saddam-era Mukhabarat services.

Israel flag Video readout available
Israel

Israel Security Agency

Shin Bet (Shabak)

Israel's domestic security service, responsible for counter-terrorism, counter-espionage, and the protection of Israeli officials and infrastructure inside Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza.

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Russia

Main Directorate of the General Staff

GU (GRU)

Russia's military-intelligence service, formally renamed the Main Directorate (GU) of the General Staff in 2010 but continuing in popular and journalistic use as the GRU. Subject to extensive Western-government attribution for cyber and direct-action operations since 2014.

Israel flag Video readout available
Israel

Military Intelligence Directorate

Aman

Israel's military-intelligence directorate, the largest of the three principal Israeli intelligence services, with primary responsibility for military intelligence and for signals intelligence through Unit 8200.

Iran flag Video readout available
Iran

Ministry of Intelligence

MOIS (VEVAK)

Iran's principal civilian intelligence ministry, established in 1984 to consolidate the post-revolutionary intelligence functions previously handled by SAVAMA and revolutionary committees.

China flag Video readout available
China

Ministry of Public Security

MPS

The People's Republic of China's principal domestic policing service, with substantial political-security functions through its Domestic Security Department and a leading role in mass-surveillance and transnational-policing operations.

China flag Video readout available
China

Ministry of State Security

MSS

The People's Republic of China's principal civilian foreign-intelligence and counter-intelligence service, established in 1983 by the merger of the Central Investigation Department and counter-intelligence units of the Ministry of Public Security.

Israel flag Video readout available
Israel

Mossad

Mossad

Israel's foreign intelligence service — formally the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations — reporting directly to the Prime Minister and responsible for foreign HUMINT, covert action, and counter-terrorism abroad.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

NGA

The United States agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of geospatial intelligence, including imagery and mapping for both military operations and national policy.

Türkiye (Turkey) flag Video readout available
Türkiye (Turkey)

National Intelligence Organization

MİT

Türkiye's principal foreign and domestic intelligence service, substantially reorganised under President Erdoğan into a politically aligned service with expanded authorities for foreign operations.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

National Reconnaissance Office

NRO

The United States agency responsible for the design, construction, launch, and operation of intelligence-collection satellites. The Agency's existence was officially classified until 1992.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

National Security Agency

NSA

The signals-intelligence and information-security agency of the United States, established in 1952 by classified executive order and disclosed publicly only in 1957.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Office of Naval Intelligence

ONI

The intelligence service of the United States Navy and the oldest continuously operating intelligence service of the United States Government, established by General Order No. 292 in 1882.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

ODNI

The United States office created in 2004 to head the Intelligence Community, set its priorities, integrate its products, and manage the National Intelligence Program budget. The Director of National Intelligence is the President's principal intelligence adviser.

China flag Video readout available
China

PLA Strategic Support Force

SSF (PLASSF)

A 2015–2024 PLA service-level branch consolidating space, cyber, signals-intelligence, electronic-warfare, and psychological-operations capabilities. Reorganised in April 2024 into three new arms — the Information Support Force, the Aerospace Force, and the Cyberspace Force.

North Korea (DPRK) flag Video readout available
North Korea (DPRK)

Reconnaissance General Bureau

RGB

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's principal foreign intelligence and special-operations service, established in 2009 by consolidation of multiple predecessor agencies and the principal organization to which Western governments attribute substantial DPRK cyber operations.

India flag Video readout available
India

Research and Analysis Wing

R&AW

India's principal foreign intelligence service, established in 1968 by separation from the Intelligence Bureau in the aftermath of the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.

United Kingdom flag Video readout available
United Kingdom

Secret Intelligence Service

SIS (MI6)

The United Kingdom's foreign human-intelligence service, popularly known as MI6, established in 1909 as the foreign section of the Secret Service Bureau.

United Kingdom flag Video readout available
United Kingdom

Security Service

MI5

The United Kingdom's domestic security service, popularly known as MI5, responsible for counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and protection of national security inside the United Kingdom.

United Arab Emirates flag Video readout available
United Arab Emirates

Signals Intelligence Agency

SIA

The United Arab Emirates' national signals-intelligence and cyber-security agency, established in 2014 from predecessor cyber-security functions and substantially staffed by Western contractors and former intelligence officers.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

Transportation Security Administration

TSA

The US transportation-security agency, established in 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks; responsible for passenger and baggage screening at US airports and broader transportation-system security.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

United States Army Intelligence and Security Command

INSCOM

The United States Army's principal intelligence command, conducting signals, human, counter-intelligence, and information-operations missions in support of Army and theatre commanders worldwide.

United States flag Video readout available
United States

United States Cyber Command

USCYBERCOM

The United States unified combatant command responsible for the conduct of military cyber operations. The Commander of US Cyber Command is dual-hatted as the Director of the National Security Agency.

How the index is organised

This index lists every intelligence agency on the site in alphabetical order by name. Each card shows the agency's country of origin, its formal name and acronym, and a short editorial description. Click through to the agency page for the full reference entry — founding date, statutory basis, jurisdiction, parent ministry, headquarters, official channels, and a structured account of role, history, and notable operations footnoted to primary sources.

Coverage spans foreign-intelligence services (the CIA, SIS, DGSE, BND, GRU, SVR, MSS, RAW, and so on), domestic-security services (MI5, FBI, BfV, ASIO, DGSI), and signals-intelligence agencies (NSA, GCHQ, CSE, ASD, GCSB, FAPSI's successors). Entries marked in progress are stubs awaiting full reference treatment; they are kept on the index so the navigation between related services is preserved while the detailed text is written.

If you know the country but not the acronym, start at the Countries index. If you are looking for an operation, scandal, or theme that crosses agencies, see the Dossiers. The methodology page documents how operations are categorised as confirmed, alleged, or disputed.