Abstract

This article compares the secret state intelligence activities of democracies and authoritarian systems, arguing that authoritarian intelligence is fundamentally different than democratic intelligence. The very meaning of the term ‘information security’ differs dramatically between the two regime types. In authoritarian systems, analytical objectivity in intelligence both is not and should not be the primary goal. Authoritarian intelligence systems are best understood as ‘Palace Guards’ whose primary aim is to secure the authoritarian regime against threats emanating most importantly from their domestic population. The relationship between Intelligence Studies and Philosophy is explored throughout the paper.