Top 10 Intelligence Agencies in the World
The intelligence agency of a country essentially functions as a nervous system in that nation’s defense setup. It is responsible for feeding vital information to the armed forces and enforcement agencies about any possible threat to the internal and external security of a nation. They are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and exploiting secretive information that is not available to the common people. These intelligence agencies gather information through various means that include signal gathering or intercepting, espionage, cryptanalysis, and many other methods. Almost all the countries around the world have more than one operational spy agency or secret service, but only one among them stands out. A spy agency works better than others in a mixture of a lot of factors like hard training, technology, colossal budget, etc.
Here is the list of Top 10 Intelligence Agencies in the World:
1. Central Intelligence Agency – The United States
It was established in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman. It was established with the motive of mediating foreign policy intelligence and analysis countrywide. In the United States Intelligence community, it is the most powerful agency. Most of the resources and manpower of the organization are spent on collecting foreign intelligence with a minimal amount of domestic data. CIA has five priorities for which they work that are counter-terrorism as its top priority, cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, non-proliferation, and informing/ warning leaders of America about important overseas events. This agency has always been the subject of many controversies both abroad and at home.
2. Secret Intelligence Service – The United Kingdom
The British Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, is among the most respected organization in the world of spies. It was established in 1909 and is the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service and is directly accountable to the Foreign Secretary. It was officially acknowledged in 1994, almost after 9 decades after its initial establishment. The domain of SIS is only limited to entities and people outside the British Isles, unlike MI5. This agency was involved in many big events of history like the Second World War, the Cold War, and many other regional disputes all over the world.
3. Mossad – Israël
Mossad is the intelligence agency of Israel, and it is the most capable, one of the oldest and most feared spy agencies in the world. Mossad is a foreign intelligence agency like the CIA of the United States. It is not only tasked with intelligence gathering but is also responsible for conducting counter-terrorism and covert operations abroad. Mossad started a Libratad technological innovation fund for investing in up-and-coming tech startups. This agency has its own counter-terrorism units, namely Kidon and Metsada. For highly sensitive missions. Kidon is a group of highly trained soldiers that perform sabotage across the globe and high-profile assignation.
The covert operation executed by Mossad is in the interest of the Jewish community across the world. In 1972 after the Munich Massacre, the agency carried out a massive covert operation named Wrath of God to track and eliminate members of the Palestine armed militant group who were involved in the attack. The operation spanned Greece, France, Italy, Algeria, Libya, etc.
4. Research And Analysis Wing – India
It was established in 1968 after the failure of India’s intelligence during the Sino-Indian war of 1962. It was a major setback for the intelligence bureau; the agency was responsible for the external and internal security of the country at that time. For the prevention of such catastrophic events in the future, the government of India established Research and Analysis Wing that is completely dedicated to the external intelligence agency; its responsibilities include monitoring arms and narcotics smuggling into the country, gathering intelligence from foreign nations concerning the national security of the country.
The agency had a substantial presence in Afghanistan since the 1990s after the rise of the Taliban when Pakistan backed, and India decided to side with the Northern Alliance – United Front with R&AW providing necessary logistic and intelligence support.
5. GCHQ and NSA
It is a security organization that is responsible for gathering intelligence information through signals intelligence for the United Kingdom’s government and its armed forces. The full form of GCHQ is Government Communication Headquarters, and it was established in 1919. This organization consists of two components: Composite Signals Organisation (GCHQ Bude) and National Cyber Security Center (NCSC). The National Cyber Security Center provides advice to the government related to cyber security and threat assessments in the UK, whereas GCHQ Bude is responsible for gathering broader intelligence operations such as cable data interception and satellite.
The other intelligence agency that shares this place is United States’ NSA (National Security Agency), and it is among the most publicized intelligence agencies in the world. This agency is responsible for analyzing and gathering security-related information from abroad and at home to assist different federal security agencies in the United States. It is also involved in mass surveillance through clandestine eavesdropping programs and hacking.
6. Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR RF) Russia
SVR RF, or the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, succeeded Russia’s external agency KGB after it was disbanded in 1991. Its various duties include conducting strategic intelligence gathering, economic espionage, and protecting Russian officials overseas. It has played a more influential role in the foreign policy of Russia than its ministry. This intelligence agency works with the foreign military intelligence unit of Russia, the GRU, for covert operations and espionage in many foreign countries.
7. Ministry of State Security- China
MSS, or the Ministry of State Security, is the civilian agency in charge of foreign and domestic intelligence gathering and counterintelligence for the people’s republic of China. Its current structure was established in 1983 following the merger between the counterintelligence branch of the Ministry of Public Security and the Central Investigation Department (the preceding foreign intelligence agency).
It has a significant presence on all five continents, and it is considered one of the most influential and powerful intelligence agencies in the world. The agency is notorious for its unconventional and aggressive intelligence-gathering strategies. The MSS has carried the espionage activities against several host nations in recent years, including the US, where the United States has suffered economic damage of about $ 300 billion to $ 445 billion annually due to Chinese economic and cyberattacks.
8. Federal Intelligence Service (BND) – Germany
Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) is a foreign intelligence agency of Germany that was established in 1956 during the Cold War era with the help of the CIA. It was the only gateway for spy agencies of western countries to closely monitor the eastern bloc even after years of its establishment. BND was considered the most informed intelligence agency regarding Western Asia throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
This agency has the responsibility for analyzing and gathering information regarding counter-proliferation, international terrorism, as well as organized crime, and drug trafficking. It is involved in mass surveillance like the CIA of the United States. In 2016 a BND officer successfully negotiated a prisoner exchange between Shia Islamist militant group Hezbollah and Israel that took place in 2018, and it has been a successful mediator between the two parties on the previous occasions as well.
9. General Directorate for External Security – France
DGSE, also known as General Directorate for External Security, is considered among the most influential spy agency in the world. It is tasked with counterintelligence and intelligence gathering as well as conducting special operations on foreign soil, and it is directly operated under the French Ministry of Armed Forces.
This agency is also specialized in economic espionage like operational information (R&D strategies) and gathering knowledge about intellectual property (techniques, industrial products, ideas) against other countries. DGSR has extensively spied on some of the largest American tech companies throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Over the decades, this agency has been involved in multiple civil wars, counter-terrorism, and other operations around the world.
10. Australian Secret Intelligence Services – Australia
ASIS, or the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, was established in 1952 by executive order as the external component of the Australian Intelligence Community. Its existence was known publicly for the first time in 1972, almost after two decades, when a news report exposed its espionage activities in Asian countries. This agency has been given the task of gathering intelligence from overseas that concerns the country’s strategic interests and domestic security. In 2012 during a press conference, the Director-General of ASIS stated that the agency is increasing its foothold in the most volatile region of the world.