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A Democratic Licence to Operate
are required. It seeks to work with government and industry partners abroad, but many
of these relationships have recently deteriorated. A concern highlighted by SIS was that
if it cannot operate effectively online then it risks becoming irrelevant. In early 2014, it
created a dedicated data directorate, recognising data as a transformational priority for
the organisation and the significant opportunities and challenges it presents.
3.33
SIS’s operations are split into seven regional networks and a number of SIS stations.
Operations are structured in missions, with the overseas network of stations delivering
these missions and operations. Examples of SIS intelligence operations might be in
seeking to acquire information on regime stability, state–neighbour relations, political
opposition, military capabilities or a state’s attitudes towards the UK. Operations
involve maintaining liaison relationships with foreign partners. SIS stations overseas are
increasingly becoming ‘SIA stations’ as they house staff from across the three British
intelligence and security agencies – particularly as MI5 now has the responsibility to
investigate threats to the UK from overseas. It also allows agencies undertake joint
operations more frequently.
The Use of Intrusive Capabilities
3.34
The SIAs have a range of different techniques and capabilities that they can exploit in
order to gather intelligence and identify and investigate threats to national security.
Much of the time these will not intrude upon the lives of British citizens – such as
analysing open-source information and consulting public records.
3.35
At the same time, the SIAs are granted significant powers, with the appropriate authority,
to employ more intrusive techniques to fulfil their mission. The degree to which they are
intrusive differs as a result of factors including whether they operate in a public, private
or electronic space, whether they involve deception, and whether they are targeted or
untargeted. These techniques include:20
•
•
•
•
•
Directed surveillance: observing someone covertly in a public place to gain
private information about them
Intrusive surveillance: covert surveillance carried out within a building or private
vehicle. Typically, this involves attaching or embedding a recording device to
monitor the activities of an individual
Covert human intelligence sources (CHIS): the use of agents, undercover officers
or informants to collect intelligence
Camera surveillance: CCTV cameras, automatic number plate recognition and
cameras on private property and widely used by authorities for public safety
Interception: a wiretap on a telephone line or the gathering of e-mails or text
messages in the course of transmission, in order to gather both content data and
communications data
20. Anderson Report, pp. 141–45.