I Spy - EURSOC - News and comment from Europe

Advanced search

You are in:

  • Contents » Heroes and Villains  

I Spy

By
EURSOC Three
Published: 
08 February, 2008

GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) is known as the world's best global eavesdropper.

They have a new impressive all-purpose glass-clad landmark building in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It is home to what is probably the most powerful computing facility in Europe.

This Britsh government organisation also has a 'retreiving and receiving' satellite dish at a secret location in the north-east of England which is greater in size than Westminster Abbey.

But despite the prestige and top-class technology, GCHQ does not seem to be able to get a grasp on the most recent fast-moving internet world-wide-web codes and secrets which are a threat to the United Kingdom and other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Basically, the bedroom-based nerds and geeks have beaten Britain's powerful spy station at their own game.

However, the hackers have not yet penetrated the hard-core wire-tapping often organised for inland use by MI5, the security service for the UK. This message has been sent by the current MI5 director general Jonathan Evans from his HQ at Milbank House overlooking the Thames in London.

Understanding how the internet works for potential national and international detriment is certainly important.

Understanding 'Humint' (a term used in the Western intelligence community for 'Human Intelligence' as opposed to technological intelligence) is also of value. And MI5 has been doing this sort of job long before GCHQ was born.

I spy with my little eye something called the second oldest profession in the world.




E-mail Updates

E-mail Updates