Nearly every country in the world has an agency charged with gathering, processing, and analyzing information from around the world. They maintain national security and protect their countries’ interests in all aspects – economic, political, and military. But which countries have the best intelligence agencies in the world?
Little information about intelligence agencies is public.
Some of these agencies have agreements to share information with others for greater impact. Others are extremely secretive and make it a point to share with no one.
Countless countries have spies scattered across the globe to gather intelligence. But information about who these spies are and exactly how they operate, is – naturally – highly classified.
Still, it is possible to estimate which countries maintain the best intelligence agencies in the world.
Who operates most effectively? Most secretly? Whose spies are the most deadly? The most ruthless? Who has the best technology? Keep reading to find out.
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency. This agency provides critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan.
Authorities founded the agency after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-48, which had revealed critical intelligence shortcomings. The ISI consists of officers from different branches of the armed forces – the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The current head of ISI is General Faiz Hameed. He has held the position of Director General since June 2019. This is the only position of the entire agency that is overt. Since 1971, only three-star army generals have occupied the post. Ostensibly, the agency reports directly to the Prime Minister and the Army Chief.
In the 1980s, the ISI gained global fame during the Soviet-Afghan War. Working closely with the CIA, the agency helped prop up the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet Union. Since then, it has been embroiled directly and indirectly in terrorism controversies in the region.
In the 1990s, the ISI provided intelligence and strategic support to the Taliban during the Afghan Civil War to counter India’s influence in the region. Officially, it changed allegiances after 2001, though reports have indicated continued support of the Taliban.
According to intelligence experts, what gives the ISI an edge is its unpredictability and lack of transparency. Both these traits naturally draw international criticism. Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto once characterized the agency as a “state within a state”.
Not only does the US maintain one of the top armies in the world. It can also boast several of the best intelligence agencies. What sets them apart is their use of carefully guarded, cutting-edge technology.
In total, the United States’ Intelligence Community (IC) consists of 16 separate agencies. The most notable and recognizable among them are the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The CIA focuses on gathering, analyzing, and providing overseas intelligence for the President and Cabinet of the United States. It was created in 1947, as a successor to the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS). In particular, the CIA relies on the use of human intelligence – meaning spies.
In contrast, the NSA’s main advantage is its technical prowess. The agency is responsible for intercepting and deciphering foreign signals while protecting the information systems of the United States – at least in theory. In 2013, it was the center of an international scandal. That year, whistle-blower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA had eavesdropped on millions of Americans, as well as foreign allies.
Finally, the FBI provides the link between intelligence agencies and law enforcement in the country. Contrary to common misconception, it is not a pure intelligence agency.
Mossad is an abbreviation for HaMossad leModiʿin uleTafkidim Meyuḥadim, which translates as ‘Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations’. It is the national intelligence agency of Israel.
Founded in 1951, it operated in secret until the mid-1990s. The agency’s main areas of focus are intelligence collection, covert operations, and counter-terrorism.
What makes Mossad stand out is that it is entirely separate from Israel’s democratic institutions. No law defines its roles or purpose. What’s more, it’s exempt even from the constitutional laws of Israel. The agency answers only to the Prime Minister. Consequently, international observers have described it as a deep state.
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) of the United Kingdom has a long history. It actually dates back to 1909, making it one of the oldest intelligence services in the world. More commonly, the SIS is famous under its alias, MI6 – the agency for which James Bond works in Ian Fleming’s famous novels.
Like most other services on this list, MI6 focuses on external threats, from nuclear weapons to organized crime. Internal threats to national security are within the purview of a different agency, MI5.
The organization’s headquarters are in London and its annual budget is estimated at £3 billion.
The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), is Germany’s foreign Federal Intelligence Service. Its headquarters – the world’s largest of any intelligence agency – are located in Berlin. Overall, the BND has over 300 locations within Germany and abroad. It answers directly to the German Chancellor’s Office.
Since its foundation during the Cold War in 1956, the West German BND cooperated closely with the CIA. During these years, intelligence experts regarded it second only to the the American agency.
Today, the BND is an early-warning system to alert German leaders to foreign threats to national security. It excels in technology, relying heavily on electronic surveillance and wiretapping. From terrorism and organized crime to drug and weapons trafficking, the BND gathers both military and civil intelligence.
Like other intelligence agencies in the region, France’s General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) emerged just after World War II, in 1947. Its structure grew from several earlier intelligence agencies – some dating back to the era of Napoleon, others to the war that had just ended.
In the mid-1960s, the agency saw criticism after it became public that it contributed to the kidnapping and presumed murder of a Moroccan revolutionary living in Paris.
Today, its primary focus is on gathering intelligence from foreign sources to assist in military and strategic decisions for the country. It is especially renowned for economic espionage.
The DGSE headquarters are located in Paris’ 20th arrondissement. In total, it employs more than six thousand people.
G.U. is the Russian acronym for the country’s military intelligence service, the Main Directorate. The more commonly used acronym GRU corresponds to its former name, Main Intelligence Directorate. The acronym for the latter is still in widespread use. It answers to the general chief of staff and the Russian defense minister.
Officially, the agency’s scope includes supplying military intelligence to the president and government. More saliently, though, its published aims also include ensuring Russia’s economic, and technological security.
In this framework, the GRU has run several global hacking campaigns. Targets have included institutions from anti-doping bodies to nuclear power companies. Most notoriously, international exports believe that the GRU was involved in cyber attacks during the 2016 US presidential election.
Russia runs two other prominent intelligence and security services – the Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, and the Federal Security Service, or FSB. Both emerged from the Soviet-era KGB.
The current intelligence agency of China, the Ministry of State Security, has existed since 1983.
Its gathers intelligence on those that could be seen as enemies with the goal of overthrowing or otherwise dismantling the socialist government of China. As such, it plays a major role in censoring China’s internet, cutting off the country’s population from the outside world.
In addition, the MSS is heavily involved in economic espionage. International analysts believe that Chinese telecommunications provider Huawei also contributes to gathering intelligence.
The MSS has over 100,000 intelligence personnel operating both within China and scattered throughout the world. Headquarters are located Beijing. Overall, the MSS has 17 known bureaus or divisions, including a counterintelligence division and a social research division.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) gathers intelligence on threats to Canada’s national security. Since its foundation in 1984, it has conducted operations, both covert and overt, domestically and abroad.
From its headquarters in Ottawa, the CSIS answers to Parliament and the Minister of Public Safety. It works closely with intelligence agencies from other countries, including the United States. In 2020-21, it has a budget of $651 million.
The agency has faced criticism several times. In the 1990s, it was accused of spying on Canadian citizens.
More recently, the CSIS has been criticized for fostering homophobia and racism.
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service has its founding date in 1952. For more than twenty years, the existence of the agency was a secret even within the Australian government. The public only learned about it in 1972, when the Daily Telegraph ran an exposé about spy recruitment at universities.
ASIS forms part of the Australian Intelligence Community. Similar to the CIA, it collects foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, and liaising with the intelligence agencies of other countries. In particular, its focus lies on gathering intelligence from the Asian and Pacific regions using agents stationed in a wide variety of areas.
Finally, India’s intelligence agency is the Research and Analysis Wing or RAW. Despite its inconspicuous name, RAW is one of the premier intelligence agencies in the world.
Founded in 1968, RAW’s main objective is to gather foreign intelligence, particularly about India’s neighbor, Pakistan. Throughout the years, Pakistan has continued to be a primary target of its intelligence gathering efforts.
Estimates say that RAW employs more than eight thousand field agents in various locations throughout the world. The agency also coordinates with other intelligence agencies. In particular, it regularly communicates with the CIA and Mossad in regard to monitoring Pakistan’s nuclear program.
Pictures are courtesy of creative commons.
Note: This post was originally published on May 5 2010. We have since updated it.
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Dear All Sane people in the world ( I am not talking of insane, religious maniacs)
i still fail to understand why pakis try to defend themselves when they know that they have lost three wars, they nowhere stand in economic development.In fact Pakistan is a failed state.They live on foreign grain, foreign machinery & technology, keep on begging for more and compete with India.There is a saying in hindi " har khipkali ka bachha ye sochta hai ki bade ho ke magarmach banuga." If india had not been born you would also not have been born.Hamse 30 minutes chote ho bhai tum. Agar galti karoge to bada bhai marega hi
@SINGHMAHENDRA
Tu saalya apna golden temple te bcha ni skya begharat log .tuhade wech te ghairat nam di cheez hi nahi . pakistan jidaan da v a pr azad taan hai .mr jao kite dub ke sikho......
Hey guys listen… Who ever gave this ratings is terribly misinformed. How can ISI be the number one in intelligence agencies. No doubt its one of the top intelligence agencies but obviously it cant be number one. Pakistan is an underdeveloped third world nation who have got enough problems of her own. Its too deep in international debt and its economy runs on funds coming from the US due to its war on terrorism and the sympathic Muslim world viz the Middle East. To be the best you need to have the best of equipment and an insane amount of money to buy out people in important positions (perhaps you have heard of humint-human intelligence). All these a for a debt ridden country like Pakistan is out of bounds. Obviously many of you might not agree with me as I can see a number of emotionally excited pakistanis on this page but that is the truth and you yourselves know it in the depth of your heart that you all belong to a poverty ridden underdeveloped nation who is running just becoz of funds from some sympathic Arab Nations and the US counter terrorism fund. If you dont believe me just have a look at your GDP and your per capita and plus your meagre defense spending. ISI is obviously not number one. You all dont even have a Space Programme. Let alone spy sattelites in space. Bin Laden was hiding just 800 metres from ur lead military academy and u all dint know it. Shame on u people that u still think that ur ISI is number one. Your top military plus ISI officials were themselves sold out to Bin Laden’s Al Queda. Well I think the list needs to be altered.. 1. CIA 2. Mossad 3. FSB 4. M1-6 5. MSS and so on… No one beats the CIA in intelligence. Its the best intelligence agency in the world of the most powerful military force in the history of man. KGB once used to be the best but the break up of the Soviet Union and the economic crysis of new Russia in the 1990s weakened the organisation. Now it is the FSB. Well Mossad is one of the most professional intelligence agencies in the world and perhaps the best in the middle east. It might slightly have an edge over the FSB. Well ISI being the best… Huh dream on… First come out of ur debt then rebuild ur nation then talk such things. LoL . I know u are proud of ur nation. Well who isnt? And u think u r the best. Well all races think that they are the best but sometimes truth hurts. Learn to live with it. Your economy is sinking and you are just like the African Nations. U r at the brink of Civil War all the time. Ur military takes over ur govt. at their whim and ur national leaders are assinated when they talk of democracy and a liberal society. Ur country is harbouring terrotists with whom u all are fighting a losing war in Kashmir. U r allying urselves with a nation who copies everything from the russians and calls it their own technology and kills thousands of their own citizens just becoz they wanted a democratic govt. and freedom from their tyrannical govt.(Tiananmen Square protests of 1989). Well God bless u.
Pakistan is a poor nation who lives at the mercy of the west and the sympathic Muslim World who dreams of becoming the leader of the Muslim Countries. Well dream on…lol . They think their ISI, their military, their Navy, their Air Force is the best in the world. Well Good thinking people. One round of applause from my side.lol . Whoever wrote this article must be a pakistani or else he/she would never have put the bankrupt ISI as the topmost intelligence agency in the world. Hahaha . Well my dear pakistani brothers… Ur ISI, one part is owned(sold out) by the the CIA and the other part by the Al Queda. So dream on. First pay out ur debts to the world. Then rebuild. Then think. Not that u will ever surpass the US. How can u even think of such things that u all are better the the Americans, British, French and the Russians. All u pakistanis must be crazy and idiots. No wonder despite 60 odd years of ur independence u still are a debt ridden, poor, underdeveloped nation.
how in this bloody world would an India accept a fact that goes in favor of Pakistan.
my dear brother from another mother we are talking only about the intelligence agencies...why are getting so hyper? :p
yes Pakistan is a poor nation with 80% of military budget!
so hook down...ISI has plenty of resources to take care of itself and the country.
these are stats not an article.... and its not written by a Pakistani.
a huge round of applause for u for not even knowing what the article is about and who the heck has written it!
sorry for the grammatical mistakes :p
india per 1000 Years Muslims nae hukmat ki hai.1965 ki war main india ko bohat buri shahkst hoi es liyae india chup chup kr war karta hai phr b india main itni himat nahi hai k pakistan k sath Panga lae.
well neways do u people really have a navy.. Well I thought it was destroyed in ’71 by the Indian Navy. Remember Karachi burning in ’71. And the stamp cards u all published to beg india for releasing ur 93000 POWs. And what happened to ur American Allies?? Their USS Enterprise(task force 74) taking to their heels upon seeing the soviet submarines. Well I thought u all were allies. We never had an alliance with the Soviets. Still they came for us. Just imagine the kind of respect we had from our friends. And what u had. The US just used u. They always have. They allowed ur nation to be split into two. Time to wake up from ur dreams dear pakis. U all belong to a weak bankrupt nation. Accept it. Please dont try to compete with the US. They are kind of Gods to u.lo
(Guys India has the second largest army, fifth largest navy and the fourth largest airforce in the world). And forget going nuclear. No one is ever goin to use them and one small mistake not even a single strand of land shall remain in pakistan which India shall not destroy. Make no mistake, India has a no first use doctrine but the second strike shall effectively take out ur whole nation. And even if India go for a small retaliatiation, pakistan’s already bankrupt economy shall collapse and no western nation (lead being taken by the US and the Russians) shall risk these WMDs with pakistan, lest they start WW3. Ur nation’s WMD shall be effectively taken out by the World Powers. Ur unstable govt. shall be dissolved and a puppet govt shall be installed with thousands of US marines, Russian Paratroopers and British Soldiers in your country stationed as a multinational peace keeping force of the UN.
come on man these are not the things to be discussed here...spill your anger out somewhere else.
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isi is the best.
ISI ZINDABAD
isi is on the top one......best isi....
That is true Pakistan is on the top. And always be on the top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ISI vs R&AW ,MOSSAD,CIA,KGB but still on the way .
ISI is our pride.
ISI can conquer the world
There is no reason to fight over which intelligence agency is better. I dont think any agency which stays in news is good. Most of their operations should be covert. All of the comments i read were baseless. How can you even compare two intelligence agencies when you dont even have the slightest idea about how an intelligence agency works. haha...seriously no offence.