A spy is a person employed to seek out top secret information from a source. Within the United States Intelligence Community, "asset" is more common usage. A case officer or Special Agent, who may have diplomatic status (i.e., official cover or non-official cover), supports and directs the human collector.

How are spies recruited?

Background research is conducted on the potential agent to identify any ties to a foreign intelligence agency, select the most promising candidates and approach method. Obvious candidates are staff officers under diplomatic cover, or officers under nonofficial contact, have routine contact.

Is being a spy lonely?

The job of a spy can be very lonely.

The buzz is taking part in a world that nobody else knows about – often you are aware of things happening behind world events that other people don't know and possibly will never know.