Legend
| Legend link (Deception, Tradecraft) | |
|---|---|
| The cover identity or cover story for a spy or intelligence operative |
See also cover
A legend is the cover identity or cover story for a spy or intelligence operative, with his or her claimed background or biography, usually supported by documents and memorized details.[1]
Overview
A spy often needs a cover to conceal his true identity. It can be as simple as just the use of a fake name. A legend is the term for a very sophisticated cover. Creating a legend means creating an entire false life.
This technique starts with false names, documents, and addresses. In an internet-reliant world, intelligence operative can rely on a LinkedIn entry, a plain vanilla credit rating, or a dormant Facebook account, all with enough detail to be plausible but with too little distinctive material to make a serious check possible.[2]
Typical cover identities include occupations like businessman, journalist, diplomat or NGO-worker or volunteer[3] While normally used for operations abroad, the concept is just as valid for internal espionage, such as agents provocateurs and police infiltrators.
Some politicians -for example Barack Obama - have so synthetic CVs that their background most likely are cover stories.
Sheep dipping
- Full article: Sheep dipping
- Full article: Sheep dipping
Sheep dipping is the creation of a legend in order to facilitate someone's use as a patsy.
Signature reduction
The Signature Reduction program is a highly classified initiative operated by the Pentagon, encompassing a range of techniques to create fake identities and manufactured backgrounds for operatives, aimed at reducing the detectability and traceability of U.S. military and intelligence operations. The program is managed by over 130 private companies and is supported by numerous secret government organizations. The budget for administering Signature Reduction is reported to be around one billion dollars (as of 2021). Private-sector enterprises also work with the Pentagon to provide its clandestine operatives with contractual covers, allowing the operatives to work abroad under civilian cover and without any official connection to US embassies or military bases. Because the work is often contracted to private organizations, they are also not limited by the legal constraints that are placed on the US military operating on US soil.[4][5]
References
- ↑ https://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/spy-resources/language-of-espionage/
- ↑ https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/27/the-spycraft-revolution-espionage-technology/
- ↑ https://www.economist.com/business/2020/02/22/spies-often-use-businesses-as-cover
- ↑ https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-inside-militarys-secret-undercover-army-1591881
- ↑ https://intelnews.org/tag/us-dod-signature-reduction-program/