Fictional spies and real-life operatives use the same spy skills we all possess, from risk tolerance and agility to observation and composure. We sat down with six real-life intelligence officers to find out what makes spies tick and give you the inside edge on how to succeed in the big leagues. If you want to uncover your spy superpowers, youâll need to act like a pro.
The spymaster
Sonya Lim didnât intend to join the CIA let alone recruit foreign spies and lead undercover operations but she stumbled into espionage and found real life more thrilling than a spy movie. Sonya climbed to the top as a station chief but being the boss is never easy: âYouâre on 24-7. It can be extremely mentally exhausting.â So whatâs the most electrifying job of a CIA officer? Sonyaâs answer may surprise you.
Tony Comer isnât just an intelligence operative - heâs the keeper of Britainâs spy secrets. As a GCHQ intelligence historian, Tony has briefed the King, Queen, and country, deciding along the way what the public can and cannot see. Heâs also the agencyâs first public spokesman and likely the only member of a spy service theyâll ever meet - or know theyâve ever met. Tony shares the secrets of his success.
Chris Simmonsâ parents both worked for the FBI so he grew up in a home brimming with secrets. Chris joined the US Army and then trained to become a spycatcher specializing in Fidel Castroâs Cuba and âhuman chessâ. His specialty? Coaxing confessions from high-profile US traitors including US-Cuban double agent Ana Montes. How does he do it? Chris shares his technique for catching liars and traitors.
While many espionage movies are dominated by men like 007 and Jason Bourne, spying has always attracted women including ex-CIA officer Amaryllis Fox. Now a bestselling author and TV host, Fox was once part of the clandestine service. It was an inauspicious start, however. Fox sat down with SPYSCAPE podcast The Spying Game to discuss coming of age in the CIA.
Undercover KGB sleeper agent Jack Barsky slipped into America with $10,000 and orders to infiltrate New York society. Instead, he went rogue and lived the American dream before getting arrested by the FBI. Itâs been a long road from enemy agent to US citizen. Along the way, Jack learned a lot about spy psychology and volunteered to share the results of his SPYCHOLOGY test exclusively with SPYSCAPE readers.
Get a FREE copy of Clarity in Crisis this Story Monday!
Get a FREE copy of a hot thriller, spy story, or crime novel every Monday with a special Story Mondays ticket to SPYSCAPE HQ. Next Monday it's Clarity in Crisis by Marc Polymeropoulos. Meet your next crisis head-on and get through it stronger than ever by using the hard-earned strategies and core principles from Marc Polymeropoulos, a highly decorated, 26-year operations officer with the CIA. Don't miss your FREE copy when you experience SPYSCAPE HQ next Monday.
Insider threats come in many disguises, including one incredible case where former Defence Intelligence Agency officer Shawnee Delaney discovered a suspected Chinese spy curled up asleep under the desk at her new company. The digital evidence against him was so significant Shawneeâs next move involved the FBI - but there was no time for a victory lap. Another threat had quickly materialized.
