The shadowy life of the secret agent revealed.
Gabe Logan is the secret agent and star of Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow on PSP. His job is to infiltrate and execute his mission no matter what the price but what does it take to be a real secret agent? Read on for the top ten things a leading intelligence officer [who, for security reasons, we will call 'Gabe'] believes to be crucial to a successful undercover career.
1. Officer, Agent, Spy
Secret agents come in several shades. In the UK, employees of the Security Service (MI5) and Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) are known as “officers”. They are the professional spies. Within their ranks are generalist “field officers”, as well as specialists with skills like surveillance, interrogation, analysis and handling “agents”. Agents are the amateur inside sources who run the real risks by passing information back to their handlers.
2. Research is key
It’s not all like the movies! Gathering intelligence is about meticulously sewing together information from different sources to build a picture. Most intelligence comes from open sources like newspapers and the Internet, with only a fraction coming from covert sources like human agents, surveillance devices or clandestine break-ins.
3. Behind enemy lines
Most intelligence agencies also carry out covert actions intended to disrupt or disable their adversaries, often working closely with military Special Forces. Most agencies engage in sabotage and sting operations, burglary, black propaganda and psychological warfare. This takes place under a cloak of deniability, carried out by highly trained specialists or third parties who can be ‘cut loose’ if the need arises.
4. Lying to your Mum
If you can’t lie, being an intelligence officer is not the career for you. Normal cover for a desk officer is a bog standard civil servant, which is likely to be upheld even with your mum. Field officers may have to maintain multiple identities, convincing enquirers that false life histories are their own. Agents may spend years covering up the fact that they are passing information on to an intelligence agency. Deceiving others is a central part of the job description.
5. Sex Success
Successful field officers have charisma and charm: the ability to seduce successfully is an indication of the character qualities that persuade people to reveal sensitive information and come onside. Being manipulative is a positive quality.
6. Sacrifice
A degree of ruthlessness is a useful character trait too. When charm fails to recruit agents, bribes, threats and blackmail make useful substitutes in persuading agents to come over. If things go wrong, a good field officer will know when to cut loose in the interests of the bigger picture, even if it means sacrificing a source.
7. Adaptability
Patience, attention to detail, recall, planning and resourcefulness are other key qualities of a successful intelligence officer. An officer must learn when to wait for information to emerge naturally, and when to create the circumstances to draw it out. The ability to accurately remember and recount information is critical, as is the ability to adjust when plans begin to fall apart. The military adage that “no plan survives contact with the enemy” particularly applies to intelligence operations.
8. Language skills
A good education helps, but today’s intelligence agencies are multicultural by design. Language skills are highly prized, especially those that are relevant to the war on terrorism. Strategic and critical thinking are qualities sought out by recruitment personnel, and the ability to quickly assimilate and present information are as important as courage.
9. Tuxedo vs Boredom
Bond-style flamboyance is not a quality displayed by real life intelligence officers. Blending in by being “grey” is a key part of the spy’s tradecraft, and to survival in tricky situations. Being boring is normally the best cover.
10. On the road
Odd hours, long periods away from home, and a need to mix with a variety of unsavoury characters are all part of the job. Field officers in particular require a degree of courage that is rarely acknowledged, and must develop stores of self confidence and an instinct for self preservation. A healthy dose of patriotism can help to foster the level of commitment required to devote a life of service to intelligence operations.
Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow is is available on PSP. Visit the official game site at syphon-filter.com for more details on the game.
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