How to Be a Spy

950. It’s a good idea to keep your initial contact with someone who might be dangerous non-threatening. You’re a lot less likely to get shot at. Although just because something’s less likely, doesn’t mean it never happens.

949. Whether it’s espionage, international gunrunning, or managing a local street gang, the preferred method of communication used by people involved in illegal activity is the burner phone. Cheap and disposable, they can be used a few times and thrown away. Which means if you’re using one to trace someone, you’ve got to move fast.

948. The advantage of having a GPS tracker on a vehicle is it allows you to stay close to your target without being seen. The disadvantage of following someone without visual contact is that when they get out of their car, you’ve got to catch up in a hurry or risk losing them.

947. Stoplights are one of the worst places to approach a target trained in counter-surveillance. Without having to worry about driving, their full attention is on their surroundings. They can use their mirrors to pick up tails and check the area for surveillance teams. But if you need to plant a tracker on someone who’s on the move, you have to go the extra mile.

946. For spies, top-secret clearance is just the beginning. S.C.I., the right to view sensitive compartmentalized information is reserved for the most trusted people in the intelligence community. That kind of access comes with fewer constraints, limited oversight, and a frightening ability to do real harm.

945. For a spy, loyalty is a strange thing. Your job is to deceive, to live among your enemies, to perform dark deeds for a noble purpose. And it’s that purpose that guides you through the darkness. When you lose sight of that, the darkness is all there is.

944. One of the nice things about sending a full-scale Homeland Security response after your enemies is the fact that you can get the resources of every branch of law enforcement, which means they generally catch whoever they’re after.

943. The age of satellite surveillance has made some operations easier for spies and a lot harder for others. If you need to secretly meet someone who’s being tracked by a satellite, your options are pretty limited. The only move is to make sure you’re someplace the surveillance satellites can’t see you. That usually means a cave, a tunnel, or in a pinch, a freeway overpass.

942. Micro-RFID tags work like anti-theft tags in department stores, only they’re a lot smaller and stick to clothes, shoes, and even hair. Once activated, they transmit a response to a coded signal. From there, it’s easy for a surveillance satellite to lock on and follow a high-value target. And the best part is, the target never even knew it happened.

941. Active security systems are built to keep people out. Passive systems, on the other hand, don’t prevent security breaches, they help you catch the bad guy after he leaves. They’re often cheaper and more effective. Plus, they let you know who your enemies are.

940. When you’re surprised by an enemy that has you outgunned, you’re first instinct is naturally going to be to try to run. This can be a serious tactical mistake. Sometimes it’s less important to get away immediately, that it is to make sure your enemies can’t follow.

939. In a situation where you’re trying to keep someone from being captured, your best leverage is often the life of the very person you’re trying to protect. The trick is convincing the bad guys that you’re wiling to kill their prize before you let them have it.

938. When you need to buy time for an operation, the key is staying relaxed. No matter how high the stakes are, you have to act like everything’s fine. The key is staying natural, giving your team as much room to operate as you can without letting on to what you’re doing. When you know that time is running out, you have to signal your team at the first opportunity and hope for the best.

937. Information stored in a DRAM chip was long considered impossible to steal. It’s automatically erased when the chip’s removed. The one way to preserve the information in a dram chip is by freezing it immediately after you take it out of the computer. A quick application of compressed air from your local drug store will keep the memory intact long enough to get what you need. It’s possible but far from easy. And if you don’t want to get caught, it takes practice.

936. Creating a good diversion isn’t just about making noise and firing guns. It’s about giving the enemy the impression that he’s being attacked in a way that demands the immediate attention of all his forces. Ideally, something big and very, very loud.

935. When operating without official cover in remote locations, you don’t have resources or backup if things go wrong, so it’s usually best to move fast and stay exposed for as little time as possible. It’s just a matter of figuring out what you’re up against, crossing your fingers, and getting in and out as quickly as you can.

934. For a spy, the worst thing that can happen is to become someone else’s asset. You do anything you can to avoid it, making sure there’s nothing people can grab onto and use as leverage. You move through life unattached, keeping the world at a distance. It’s a hard way to live, but there’s a cold logic to it. Love nothing and nothing you love can be used against you. Once you violate that rule and make that connection with someone, you’ve handed your enemies the key to destroying you.