A lot of people think that CIA employees lurk around in trench coats, send coded messages, and use exotic equipment like hidden cameras and secret phones to do their job. (You know, all those things you see in movies or read about in spy novels.)

Being a spy is more than just the gadgets and the disguises. To be successful in the field, you need to speak like a spy. So, before you head out on your next mission, or write the next great American spy novel, take some time to familiarize yourself with our Spy Speak glossary.

As the world’s premier foreign intelligence agency, the work we do at CIA is vital to U.S. national security. We collect and analyze foreign intelligence and conduct covert action. U.S. policymakers, including the President of the United States, make policy decisions informed by the information we provide.

CIA developed a highly secret, supersonic aircraft known as the A-12 OXCART as the successor to the U-2 spy plane. The A-12 was intended to meet the nation’s need for a very fast, very high-flying reconnaissance aircraft that could avoid Soviet air defenses.

Now that you’ve learned all about the CIA, are you ready for your own secret mission? See if you can solve puzzles, crack codes, and discover clues like a real CIA officer in the spy games below.

Thinking about joining CIA? You are making an important decision. Because of our critical mission, we require several important items from all candidates. Review the following requirements that you must meet to qualify for employment at CIA.

Actually, anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into intelligence-related topics is welcome here. Explore our lesson plans and “briefings” on topics like spy history, code breaking, and how intelligence actually works.

Myth 10: CIA officers are the keepers of all government secrets. Working at the CIA does not grant you unlimited access to government secrets. We adhere to a strict “need-to-know” policy regarding classified information. In other words, an officer will not have access to classified information unless it pertains directly to their job duties.

At CIA, we have lots of secrets – it’s kind of what we do. Read about spy planes, robot battles, learning resources and more.

information has surfaced about Adolf Tolkachev and his work for the CIA. The following is the story of a brave and dedicated man who for over seven years provided the CIA with a huge volume of extremely sensitive and valuable intelligence on Soviet military research and development (R&D) activities.