This week, we will be discussing the biggest state actor threats to spying on the US. There are many juicy choices, such as China, North Korea and Russia, particularly in light of so much recent news about the latter two. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Know the Enemy: State Actors

In Module 1, you learned that divided loyalties (the loyalty to one's country of origin or ethnicity) are a greater motivator today than ever before.

State actors (who are related to or working for a government other than the U.S.) are oftentimes motivated to spy against the U.S.

In this assignment, you will examine the motivations of other states and their actors, as well as their methods.

Tasks:

Using at least three scholarly resources from the professional literature, research intelligence threats to the U.S., focusing on state actors.

The literature may include the University online library resources; relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov).

In a minimum of 300 words, respond to the following:

Identify the greatest intelligence threats to the U.S. and methodologies used for spying against the U.S. (such as human intelligence [HUMINT], and cyber espionage).

Explain which state actors pose the greatest cyber threat.

Explain which of the state-sponsored foreign intelligence services (FISs) assaults on the United States Intelligence Community (USIC) appear to have caused the greatest damage, either through the loss of resources, failed missions, or the loss of lives.

Give reasons in support of your responses.