Official cover

In espionage, an official cover operative is one who assumes a position in an organization with diplomatic ties to the government for which the operative works.

Official cover operatives are granted a set of governmental protections, and if caught in the act of espionage, they can request diplomatic protection from their government. In other words, official cover operatives are agents officially recognized by their country.

References

Look up official cover in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

How the CIA Works - HowStuffWorks article on the Central Intelligence Agency explaining this term.

Espionage

Agents Assets	Agent handling Field agent Non-official cover (strawperson sockpuppet) Official cover Resident spy

Analysis	Intelligence assessment (cognitive traps competing hypotheses)

Devices and communications	Concealment device Covert listening device Cryptography Cut-out Dead drop (USB) Numbers station One-way voice link Short-range agent communications Steganography (microdot)

Operations	Black operation (black bag Wetwork) Eavesdropping (SIGINT MASINT) False flag Industrial espionage Interpersonal (HUMINT) intelligence (interrogation safe house surveillance) COINTELPRO MINARET SHAMROCK

Intelligence management

Collection

Interpersonal
(HUMINT)

Special reconnaissance (organizations)

Clandestine	Asset recruiting Cell system Covert action Direct action Operational techniques

Espionage	Agents (field handling) Asset Black operation (black bag) Concealment device Cryptography Cut-out Dead drop Denial and deception Eavesdropping False flag Industrial espionage Intelligence assessment Interrogation Numbers station One-way voice link Official cover Non-official cover Resident spy Steganography Surveillance

Signals (SIGINT)

Measurement and
signature (MASINT)

Other

Analysis

Dissemination

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Official cover

See also

References