Counterintelligence Awareness & Threat Recognition Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Counterintelligence Awareness & Threat Recognition flashcards as text
What is 'tradecraft' in the context of intelligence and counterintelligence operations?
Answer: The skills, techniques, and procedures used by intelligence professionals in the field
Tradecraft encompasses the practical skills, operational techniques, and methodologies — such as surveillance, dead drops, and cover management — that intelligence officers use to conduct and protect their operations.
Which of the following is a key indicator that a foreign intelligence service (FIS) may be actively targeting an organization or individual?
Answer: Receiving unsolicited communications that probe for sensitive organizational details
Unsolicited contacts — whether by email, phone, or in person — that probe for sensitive information about personnel, capabilities, or operations are a classic FIS targeting technique.
In counterintelligence, what does a 'damage assessment' evaluate following a confirmed security compromise?
Answer: The scope of classified information exposed and the potential harm to sources, methods, and operations
A damage assessment determines what classified information was exposed, who may have received it, and what the operational impact may be — including threats to sources, ongoing operations, and national security.
What is the counterintelligence purpose of a 'honey trap' (also known as a 'honey pot') operation?
Answer: Exploiting romantic or sexual relationships to compromise, recruit, or gather intelligence on a target
A honey trap operation uses romantic or sexual relationships — real or manufactured — to create leverage over a target, elicit sensitive information, or compromise them for recruitment purposes.
What is an 'access agent' in the context of counterintelligence operations?
Answer: An individual used to introduce an intelligence officer or recruit to a targeted individual without revealing true intent
An access agent provides an introduction or connection to a target of interest, enabling intelligence contact to be made under a benign pretext that conceals the true intelligence purpose of the relationship.
Which approach is typically used by counterintelligence professionals to handle a discovered mole without immediately compromising the ongoing investigation?
Answer: Feeding the mole controlled, false information while the investigation continues to identify the full scope of the network
Controlled information feeding allows CI investigators to confirm the compromise, identify foreign handlers, assess the full damage, and potentially neutralize the threat while building a prosecutable case.
What does 'compartmentalization' mean in intelligence security, and why is it a critical CI principle?
Answer: Dividing intelligence operations and information into separate restricted categories so a single compromise cannot expose the entire program
Compartmentalization limits the blast radius of any single compromise by ensuring that even insiders with high clearances only know about their specific compartment, preventing cascading exposure of unrelated programs.