Covid 19 Affects MI5's Spies Street Surveillance Tactics

The pandemic has changed the way millions of people work -- and even spies aren't exempt.

Near-empty streets caused by fewer people traveling into city centers can make it difficult for Britain's spies to track suspects, the new head of MI5, the UK's domestic security service, has said.

Ken McCallum told journalists Wednesday that his agents have adjusted the way they work as a result of the coronavirus crisis, after crowds thinned in public spaces. more

Granny Was A Spy

UK - In 1999, an 87-year-old British woman held a press conference in front of her home to announce that for nearly four decades, she’d worked as a spy for the Soviet Union.

In fact, Melita Norwood was the Soviet Union’s longest-serving British spy...

In 1979, she and her husband—who knew about her spying and disapproved—visited Moscow so the Soviet Union could award her the Order of the Red Banner (she accepted the honorary award, but turned down the financial reward).

How did Norwood get away with it for so long? more

Secret Agent Man & Daughter

Intrigue continues to swirl as the “poisoned spy”, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, remain in intensive care. Counter-terrorism police have taken over the investigation. Boris Johnson has said the possibility of a Russian assassination attempt means UK officials might boycott the World Cup.

This morning, Shaun Walker examines how the Skripal case looks like a warning about the fate awaiting those who collaborate with western intelligence agencies.

And more details are emerging about the life of the former double agent, known in his Salisbury neighborhood as a genial man with a penchant for Polish sausage and lottery scratch cards. more video sing-a-long

Double Oh Concession

The UK government is going to speed up the way it vets and hires new recruits at its spy agency Government Communications Headquarters, which is responsible for electronic surveillance, after it fell short of hiring targets at the end of the last fiscal year (pdf).

GCHQ v TECH

The spy agency has said that it’s losing potential top recruits to huge tech companies because of bumper salaries. GCHQ’s lengthy vetting process, which is backlogged, also doesn’t help...

GCHQ, one of Britain’s three intelligence and security agencies alongside MI5 and MI6, aims to increase headcount by 14% over the next four years to 6,639 people.

This is after it had a shortfall in recruitment of 22% in the fiscal year. The report added that in order to get more recruits through the door, it will have to assign more people to the vetting process. more

Agent Kingfisher Dead - Just Coincidence? - You Decide

Serial protester and spy enthusiast...

who called himself 'Agent Kingfisher' and disrupted a royal James Bond premiere suffers ‘unexplained’ death days after he was caught urinating in the MI5 foyer. more

Sad: Ex-Spy Sells Special-Edition Watch on eBay

An unemployed former British spy is so hard-up he is selling his special-edition MI5 watch on eBay.

The ex-spook put his Breitling diver’s watch on the auction site in a bid to raise money because he lost his job with MI5 three years ago.

He is selling the specially commissioned time piece even though there are only a few hundred in circulation and they have never been displayed in public.

“This watch is a limited edition which could only be purchased by serving officers of MI5 British Security Service during their centenary.

“The watch was commissioned to celebrate their 100th anniversary.“So far I have had good offers and considerable interest on eBay and I must admit, I will be very sorry to be losing the watch as I have little to remind me of my time with the service.”

When he first bought the watch he paid more than £1,000 for it and the bids had reached more than £3,500 so far. (more)