Surveillance and Surveillance Detection: A CIA Insider's Guide

by John Kiriakou

Have you ever thought you were being followed or watched? Have you ever needed to follow or observe someone and not be seen?In the world of espionage, surveillance and surveillance detection are a way of life. It is the job of every CIA operations officer to make sure he or she is not under surveillance—that is, being followed to the commission of an “operational act.” It is also the job of every CIA operations officer to surveil his own targets, whether they are terrorists or terrorist suspects, foreign intelligence officers, hostile actors, or even sometimes his own agents for vetting purposes.  In everyday life, many people from all walks of life need to know how to perform similar operations. Whether avoiding a stalker, checking up on an unfaithful partner, or just securing one’s own privacy, a working knowledge of modern surveillance and surveillance detection techniques is a critical skill to possess. And there is nobody better to teach that skill than someone trained by the CIA.From former CIA counterterrorism officer John C. Kiriakou, Surveillance and Surveillance A CIA Insider's Guide takes you through the CIA's surveillance and surveillance detection program. It will teach you to apply CIA surveillance techniques to your own everyday life. You’ll learn how to stay safe, to ensure your privacy, and to keep the honest people honest—the CIA way. 

Genres: Espionage, Reference

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2022

About the author

John served in the Central Intelligence Agency first as an analyst, and later as a counterterrorism operations officer, from 1990-2004. He spent much of his career working on Iraq and the Persian Gulf. In 1997 he changed career tracks from analysis to operations and moved to Athens, Greece, where he worked against the notorious terrorist group “Revolutionary Organization 17 November.” He became chief of counterterrorist operations in Pakistan following the September 11 attacks, and his tour climaxed in the March 2002 capture of Abu Zubaydah, then believed to be al-Qa’ida’s third-ranking official.

John Kiriakou became an anti-torture whistleblower and activist when he told ABC News in December 2007 that the CIA was torturing prisoners, that that torture was official U.S. government policy, and that the policy was approved by the President.

John eventually was charged with three counts of espionage, one count of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and one count of making a false statement as a result of the 2007 ABC News interview. Even though he had no criminal intent, and there was no harm to the national security, accepting the plea resulted in a sentence of 30 months in prison.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge fan of John Kiriakou's books. If you are looking for spy podcasts and stories, see his stuff. He is a wonderful storyteller, experienced and authoritative in his field, having been CIA officer for many years and exposed the CIA torture program at a huge personal cost. This one is instructive on how to detect a surveillance or how to surveil. Obviously this has gotten more difficult due to the proliferation of spyware technologies, but it is always fascinating to read about spycraft the old way i.e. following people and try not to be caught, just like in Bourne Ultimatum or some American action movie.

[Osk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas from the book
1) It was the Snowden disclosures that presented a picture of the larger network
of global surveillance that included the communications of prominent leaders of the anti-Vietnam war movement. There were also stories about spying not only in the United States but also overseas.
2) In recognition of this, the NSA created a branch known as "Follow the Money" (FTM). This branch has the capability to monitor all banking transactions to include international payment and credit card transactions. The NSA uses its financial data bank to store this data so it will be available for analysts. Through FTM, the NSA can monitor the global flow of money and systematically gather
important financial intelligence.
3) For every online transaction, the company has to secure and maintain personal data about the customer. This data has enormous value and is often marketed online as a commodity in its own right. Every person who has an account with Amazon has surrendered their bank card information and verification codes along with basic information such as names, physical addresses, email accounts, and phone numbers.
4) The actual theft takes place at the user's computer and it is possible that he will not realize what has happened for months. During this period, hackers have free use of credit and debit cards. This information can easily be sold on the dark web. Those who get this data are able to steal millions of dollars from users around the world.
5) More recently, CCTV, RFID, and GPS technologies have revolutionized surveillance.
Surveillance technologies make it possible for a variety of actorsboth governmental and private to violate not only the law but also social norms
6) In fact, with simple technical adjustments, the cell phone is transformed into a spy that can transmit conversations, data, and the physical location of the user.
7) It has long been said that knowledge is power. The development of modern technology has created devices that can collect infinite amounts of information. As the state, which already has a monopoly of force, developed its hold on mountains of data, its authority grew beyond the ability of individuals to limit its control over society.
8) Have you ever thought you were being followed or watched? Have you ever needed to follow or observe someone and not be seen? Whether avoiding a stalker, checking up on an unfaithful partner, or just securing one’s own privacy, a working knowledge of modern surveillance and surveillance detection techniques is a critical skill to possess.
9) Because social media platforms were designed to be addictive, millions of people are drawn to them and their opinions or even self-images are shaped by what appears on those platforms. Through their manipulation of massive amounts of data, the big tech companies have amassed unprecedented power that rivals the actual power of the state in many respects.
10) A device like Alexa is seen as your friend and servant, although it is essentially a wiretap. It is simply the latest form of corporate surveillance. It is always observing your behavior but, a person concludes, it is for your own good.

[Brian Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

Really fascinating the way that the author includes some technical knowledge along with the history that comes with its development.