Security Service
From SR
Background
The Security Service, more commonly known as MI5, is the UK's security intelligence agency. MI5 are responsible for protecting the country against covertly organised threats to national security.
These include:
In addition, they provide security advice to a range of organisations, helping them reduce their vulnerability to the threats. Although publicly available information can be helpful for background purposes, the best way to discover the intentions and actions of organisations and individuals posing a threat to national security is to obtain secret intelligence about their activities. Over time, MI5 collate this information and seek to develop detailed knowledge of target organisations, their key personalities, infrastructure, intentions, plans, and capabilities.
Roles
- Frustrate terrorism
- Prevent damage to the UK from foreign espionage and other covert foreign state activity
- Frustrate procurement by proliferating countries of material, technology or expertise relating to weapons of mass destruction
- Watch out for new or re-emerging types of threat
- Protect Government's sensitive information and assets, and the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
- Assist the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the discharge of their statutory functions
- Build Service capability and resilience.
