ESPIONAGE 2
Espionage
Espionage is the act of collecting confidential information usually political or military
related from another region or country through spies. Such practices, whether done for economic
or in the name of national security are illegal and unethical. The subject country’s security is
threated, vulnerable and at risk. This paper seeks to discuss the differences between the terms
threat, vulnerability, and risk in the context of espionage.
The primary role of any government is to protect its people, culture, and property. These
are the assets of a country. Consequently, anything that intends to cause harm or destruction to
them is considered a threat (Vashisth and Kumar, 2013). A spy in a country whose motive is to
steal confidential information that would otherwise jeopardize country's well-being is at all cost a
threat. Vulnerability, on the other hand, are the weaknesses or gaps in a security system that
enemies can take advantage of to cause harm (Vashisth and Kumar, 2013). For instance, having
porous borders such that people come in and out at will can be a vulnerability to any country
since terrorists will have an easy time executing their plans. A risk is a function of a threat acting
on a vulnerability to cause harm. According to Threat Analysis Group (2010), a risk is a
possibility of loss given that a threat is exploiting a vulnerability. For example, when there is a
vulnerability of porous borders and terrorist are the potential threat, then a country faces a risk of
being bombed.
In retrospect, threat, vulnerability, and risk describe in detail espionage. These terms are
related but there is a clear distinction in meaning, and it is essential to understand how they apply
in real life situation. Accurately determining the threats and analyzing vulnerability is the first
step of anticipating probability of risk and hence taking necessary measures to protect itself.
