KGB

:For other meanings, see KGB (disambiguation).

Tasks and Organization

Its tasked responsibilities were external espionage, counter-espionage, the liquidation of anti-Soviet and counter-revolutionary organisations within the USSR, guarding the national borders, guarding the Comunist Party and State leaders, and critical state property. Also, it investigated and prosecuted thieves of State and socialist property and white collar criminals. Unlike Western intelligence agencies, the KGB (theoretically) was uninterested in learning the enemy's intentions--only their capabilities; intentions were political decisions based upon Marxist theory.

Related Topics:
Espionage - Counter-espionage - Marxist

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In espionage, the KGB mostly relied on human intelligence (HUMINT), unlike their Western counterparts, who relied more on technology--imagery intelligence (IMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT). Using ideological attraction, the Soviets successfully recruited many high-level spies. Most notable are the KGB successes in gathering US atomic secrets, and, in the UK, the Cambridge Five, especially Kim Philby of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS); ideological recruitment failed after the USSR crushed the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Instead, KGB was forced to rely upon blackmail and bribery to control most of its defectors. Still, this achieved notable successes, such as CIA mole Aldrich Ames and FBI mole Robert Hanssen, but fewer than in earlier decades.

Related Topics:
HUMINT - IMINT - SIGINT - US atomic secrets - Cambridge Five - Kim Philby - 1956 - Hungarian uprising - CIA - Aldrich Ames - FBI - Robert Hanssen

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Paralleling developments at MI5 and the CIA, the KGB has, in recent years, commercialized its advanced technologies for business applications. Artificial intelligence software which was formerly used to sort and filter signals intelligence has become available through companies such as Autonomy (an MI5 spin-off) and InfoTame (ex-KGB technologists).

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