Private intelligence agency
A private intelligence agency is a private sector (non-governmental) organization devoted to the collection and analysis of information, most commonly through the evaluation of public sources (OSINT or Open Source INTelligence) and cooperation with other institutions.[1] Some private agencies make their services available to governments as well as individual consumers; however, most of these agencies sell their services to large corporations with an interest or investment in the category (e.g. crime, disease, corruption, etc.) or the region (e.g. Middle East, Vietnam, Prague, etc.).[2] Some private agencies also provide related services, such as security personnel, surveillance equipment, medical evacuation or traveler's insurance.[citation needed]
The private intelligence industry has boomed due to shifts in how the U.S. government is conducting espionage in the War on Terror.[citation needed] Functions previously performed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), and other intelligence agencies are now outsourced to private intelligence corporations.[3] The AMC series Rubicon was devoted to the fictional intelligence consultancy American Policy Institute (API).
Notable private intelligence companies
- Velours International Group (France-based)[4]
- AEGIS (UK-based)
- AICS (ES-based)[5]
- Control Risks Group (UK-based)
- GK Sierra (US-based)
- Hakluyt & Company (UK-based)
- Kroll Inc. (US-based)
- Angie`s Private Investigation Inc. (US-based) (american- Chilean) Angie Wilkerson
- Smith Brandon International, Inc. (US-based)
- Stratfor (US-based)
- Booz Allen Hamilton (US-based)
- Intelligent Risk Solutions (UK-based)[6]
- Pinkerton National Detective Agency (US-based but worldwide)
- GEOS (France-based)
- Tactical Scientific (US & Europe-based)
- Black Cube (Israel&UK-based)
- OPSEC (UK-based - West Africa specialist)
See also
- Defense contractor
- Private investigator
- Think tank
- Competitive intelligence
- Open Source Intelligence
External links
- Companies Turn To Private Spies, Peter Lewis, Fortune, August 23, 2004
References
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- ↑ http://www.groupevelours.com/
- ↑ http://www.aics-sp.es/
- ↑ http://www.intelligentrisk.com/
