Counterintelligence is Information gathered and activities conducted to protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, sabotage, or assassinations conducted by or on behalf of foreign governments or elements thereof, foreign organizations, or foreign persons, or international terrorist activities.
(Dictionary of Military & Associated Terms)
Counterintelligence has both a defensive mission - protecting the nation's secrets and assets against foreign intelligence penetration - and an offensive mission - finding out what foreign intelligence organizations are planning to better defeat their aims.
(From https://www.dni.gov)
CI references. (n.d.). National Counterintelligence & National Security Center. Link to source
Counterintelligence national strategy: A blueprint for protecting U.S. secrets. (2011, November 4). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Link to source
National counterintelligence strategy of the United States of America 2020-2022. (2020, January 7). National Counterintelligence and Security Center. Link to source
Richelson, J. (2007, September 17). The Pentagon's counterspies: The Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA). The National Security Archive. Link to source
Schindler, J. R. (2011, November 29). The counterintelligence imperative. The National Interest. Link to source
Wasemiller, A. C. (1996). The anatomy of counterintelligence. Center for the Study of Intelligence. Link to source
