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[Nmaro Makari]

So essentially, A) stealing Silas' title-thunder, and b) the other big 3 in the EVEiverse have a little elaboration on how they conduct espionage, intelligence and all that shady business, but I don't know anything about how this works in the Caldari State.

Obviously one of the factors in making that a little more difficult is that the big 3 have established organisations, FIO, RSS, MIO et all, so how does the Caldari State do espionage and intelligence?

[Karmilla Strife]

I would think each Megacorp (or their respective security branches) and possibly the Caldari Navy each have their own, internal, intelligence department.

[Desiderya]

I would assume that every corporation has their internal affairs units. Probably stuff that considers non-domestic affairs gets shared by these sources in a CEP controlled committee?

[Katrina Oniseki]

I would assume that every corporation has their internal affairs units. Probably stuff that considers non-domestic affairs gets shared by these sources in a CEP controlled committee?

Pretty much this. A decentralized intelligence agency not only fits Caldari style better, but it also explains why the Caldari system completely failed at stopping the FIO from infiltrating. The Caldari system is weaker because it's decentralized, allowing a more powerful and better funded central agency of the FIO to be far more effective.

[V. Gesakaarin]

I think Megacorp. intelligence is divided along two lines:

1. Competitive intelligence and corporate/industrial espionage primarily focused on comprising the plans and products of competitors through a variety of means for ones own advantage. Sometimes these operations can blow out into the public spotlight such as with the SuVee-Lai Dai conflict a few years back.

2. Internal security and surveillance to prevent the success of competing corporations in their corporate espionage campaigns and to maintain corporate authority. I don't think it usually involves black bags and disappearing people, but rather like any good secret police those kind of overt actions are a last resort instead focusing on cultivating a network of informants throughout the entire corporate structure. Dealing with dissidents is probably a bit like the Stasi - you attempt to ruin their lives psychologically (flip their spouse and drop some photos of them having an affair with someone else; re-arrange the furniture in their apartment all the time; deny them job opportunities; turn their friends against them) then if they're useful they can "renounce" their dissent and start working for you against other dissidents or whatever.

I think the difference is that Caldari Intelligence is just as much pre-occupied with other Megas and maintaining internal order than foreign politics that doesn't involve economic factors  (Which is probably more the purview of Military Intelligence branches of CalNav etc. more than anything).

[orange]

Important tid-bit from PF.

As Hyasyoda's private security corporation, the Corporate Police Force, focuses on counterintelligence and counterespionage work, largely due to its parent company’s distrustful nature. As a result, it is one of the most effective corporate security forces in the State, despite Hyasyoda's small relative size to most of the other megacorporations. It is not uncommon for CPF agents to be contracted by the Navy for their expertise on such matters.

[Silas Vitalia]

I think this is the neo-tokyo future mega corp industrial espionage part of the Caldari we don't see or hear enough about.

I imagine all sorts of under-the-table games of spying and corporate intrigue like you'd get from William Gibson going on between all the Megas.

Plots within plots within plots, sleeper agents sent to join rival corporations two generations ago, basements full of cyberized criminal hackers being paid to break computer security, who knows.

[Jace]

I think this is the neo-tokyo future mega corp industrial espionage part of the Caldari we don't see or hear enough about.

I imagine all sorts of under-the-table games of spying and corporate intrigue like you'd get from William Gibson going on between all the Megas.

Plots within plots within plots, sleeper agents sent to join rival corporations two generations ago, basements full of cyberized criminal hackers being paid to break computer security, who knows.

This is essentially how I've always imagined it. The megacorp conception has always fit well with a pseudo-cyberpunk manifestation.

[Erys Charantes]

I would assume that every corporation has their internal affairs units. Probably stuff that considers non-domestic affairs gets shared by these sources in a CEP controlled committee?

Pretty much this. A decentralized intelligence agency not only fits Caldari style better, but it also explains why the Caldari system completely failed at stopping the FIO from infiltrating. The Caldari system is weaker because it's decentralized, allowing a more powerful and better funded central agency of the FIO to be far more effective.

Agreed.  Competition doesn't always breed strength.  In intelligence work, it's more often a fatal flaw.

[Lithium Flower]

I would assume that every corporation has their internal affairs units. Probably stuff that considers non-domestic affairs gets shared by these sources in a CEP controlled committee?

Pretty much this. A decentralized intelligence agency not only fits Caldari style better, but it also explains why the Caldari system completely failed at stopping the FIO from infiltrating. The Caldari system is weaker because it's decentralized, allowing a more powerful and better funded central agency of the FIO to be far more effective.

Agreed.  Competition doesn't always breed strength.  In intelligence work, it's more often a fatal flaw.

Caldari political system is decentralized, but there is a united military power for the whole State - the Navy. I believe that Caldari, being a militarized culture, should deploy extensive intelligence operations from the Navy, since fighting without intelligence is akin to fighting in trenches with closed eyes. That we don't have obvious "intelligence service" in Caldari means, that it is in fact, should be rather quite secret service.

The closest thing to Caldari intelligence service I see as russian SpecOps, which were disguised as paratroopers, they wore same uniform, same insignia, and their division held name of paratrooper division, but their tasks and training was in completely different field.

The main evidence for existence of Caldari centralized intelligence from my opinion is the fact, that approach with deploying "super-secretive" outposts and surveillance drones, forming "tripwire" system, was used not just by the Federation, but by the State as well.

As for stopping FIO agents, this should be work of counter-intelligence, and obviously the State lacks centralized counter-intelligence, distributing control of their employees to respective corporations. Before recent coup in the State there was one organization that could centralize this work - CPD, but conditions of how it was formed and contingent of staff allowed them to look for only obvious "disloyalties", rather than professional intelligence agents from other nations. With dissolving of CPD the State loses its only centralized counter-intelligence agency, and this task returns back to megacorporations and their police forces, like, mentioned by orange CPF.

Another thing, that comes to my mind, is that I think, that Caldari secret service should be really very secret, and deployed staff should maintain these secrets with their life. Simple mentioning of participating in covert operation or being a member of secret division must be a reason for immediate physical termination of the said agent. Their loyalties to the State and the Navy itself (instead of any single megacorporation) should be undeniable, and they should be ready to destroy themselves in slight threat of disclosure. From my opinion such approach would give the State at the same time products of quality intelligence service and total absence of existence of such service at the same time.

[Vieve]

I've often entertained the idea that the closest thing to a centralized Caldari intelligence agency might actually be the Caldari Business Tribunal.

[orange]

I've often entertained the idea that the closest thing to a centralized Caldari intelligence agency might actually be the Caldari Business Tribunal.

I fully support this idea.  They would have the most information about the multitude of contracts throughout the cluster.  It is amazing what information can be derived from contracts.

[Vieve]

I've often entertained the idea that the closest thing to a centralized Caldari intelligence agency might actually be the Caldari Business Tribunal.

I fully support this idea.  They would have the most information about the multitude of contracts throughout the cluster.  It is amazing what information can be derived from contracts.

Indeed.  I imagine the CBT also has very good access to market transaction information (in part perhaps thanks to a cadre of lawyers adept at subpoenaing it, in areas where it needs to be subpoenaed).  I also assume that market transaction data is at least as sophisticated to what's being collected today -- that is, it contains transactional amount, the transacted good, current market value of the transacted good, the parties to the transaction, the location (point of origin, if it's a virtual transaction), shipping information, et cetera.

[Mithfindel]

In the old system, there were a variety of Caldari corps with the "intelligence" agent division. Such as House of Records (Archives, Intelligence, Legal).

The CBT does/did have the Intelligence division, too.

Going thru http://eve-online.itemdrop.ru/eve_db/npccorporations/

Kaalakiota has an Intelligence division as part of the mega. Then there's Mercantile Club, Poksu Mineral Group, State Protectorate (?) and Sukuuvestaa.