A recent New York Times article revealed that, along with the usual military training, some West Point cadets are getting lessons in cyber war: learning to defend a computer network against enemy attacks. James Bond may not wear fatigues, but here’s a look at the way the spy game used to be played.
Her name conjures up images of dark-eyed mystery and coded messages, but the jury is still out on whether Margaretha Zelle (better known as Mata Hari) was really a spy during World War I. Either way, her life has certainly become the stuff of legend.
Brilliantly simple?once you know how it works. Although most people associate the name with the German Wehrmacht Enigma used during WWII, this electro-mechanical rotor machine was actually invented in 1918 and was in commercial use as early as the 1920s.
Not surprisingly, Mata Hari makes the top of this list, but there are plenty of other fascinating spies here. Perhaps the most surprising is Casanova. Better known for his romantic escapades, he apparently also worked as a spy for the Venetian Inquisitors of State.
Everyone’s got an Internet presence these days, even spy agencies. This section of the CIA’s website is aimed at kids, but some of the games are likely to test adults? skills too. Check out the Aerial Analysis and Photo Analysis challenges.
No list of double agents would be complete without a nod to that suave superspy himself: James Bond. This site isn’t a detailed history of the fictional character, but it gives an interesting summary of Bond in films, and some of the leading men who’ve played him.