Introduction

Background

History

Types of Espionage

Epsionage Methods

Social Impact

References

My P.O.V.

“The threat is certainly increasing. The number of hostile intelligence officers in the United States and working against us around the world has grown sharply in recent years. Espionage, spying is not a game. It costs our country secrets and millions of dollars in stolen technology. It can also cost lives and threaten our national survival.” (Ronald Reagan)

Ronald Reagan used these words in a November 1985 radio address. At that time the president was speaking about the threat of nuclear war and the threat from the Soviet intelligence agencies. A threat at the time that was very real and I would go out and say still exists. It is hard for us to believe that espionage goes on on a daily basis. To most of us it only goes on in the movies, our favorite book or TV show. The truth is that spying goes on around us everyday. From secret covert military and CIA missions to our boss or spouse who wants to know a little more than we are telling them. We are watched in almost every store, restaurant and website we go to, and we are being sent tickets by the camera that is perched above the stoplight. Technology, as a whole can be pretty scary; to the untrained eye that is. The thought of smart dust and other powerful technologies can be overwhelming. I think that is a good thing, I think we should be overwhelmed by our changing scientific community. However, I believe once we begin to sort through all that is being said and find the two pages of truth in the eight hundred we are given, its really not that scary. I think about what must have been said when Ford wanted to invent the car or when the idea of electricity was first brought up. I am sure people thought that these engineers and inventors were crazy and were scared of what they might come up with. However, if we were scared of everything that we could get hurt from, many of us would not leave our homes on a daily basis. The world can be a scary place, but less so when you really look and really understand the truth behind what is going on.

I do however think that as these technologies are being developed and especially when they are being inserted in the public’s hands some caution should be taken. I believe that many people think that it is a game, but that is the farthest from the truth. Although we all should, we do not all use a global thinking mentality. This would allow us to realize and more fully consider the ideas of unintended consequences and feedbacks that affect every system we bring change to. These ideas are not only important when considering spying, but also technology. We should think about how are family would react if they knew we were spying on them, how about our Nanny who finds the camera in Mr. Snuggles the teddy bear? On a larger scale when UAVs are found in Afghanistan what will happen? Perhaps they will destroy them or perhaps they will take it apart find out how it works and build their own. We need to continuously think about what it is we are doing, what we are really doing. We are taking one action, but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This reaction may have more consequences then we have even begun to think about.

I personally think that espionage, spying and all the technology that I can find on the internet is a little scary. The thing I was most shocked to find during completion of this project was the fact that almost any ‘run of the mill’ piece of technology, including cameras, eavesdropping, video cameras, internet software and even entrance devices can be found and purchased on the internet. What is still more interesting is that the internet is a fairly unregulated place. I could place the order have it delivered and if I wanted to, never be identified. I can’t say as if I know where we should put in regulation about spying, about invading someone’s privacy. I do however think that maybe we could all work on honesty and trust. Okay, this may not work for two countries, I can say we can all go to the tea room, shake hands and it will all be better. However, what if we all, gasp, worked on this in our more personal lives? What if we talked instead of spied, what if we trusted what our spouse, coworker, or local police told us. Perhaps, and I go out on a limb supposing that this would ever actually happen, we would all like our lives a little better.

This site created for UNIV 270 at Bucknell University Spring 2005

Direct all questions and comments to ebeesing@bucknell.edu