The security intelligence services of the private sector

Scholars have long viewed intelligence as the preserve of nation states. Where the term ‘private sector intelligence’ does appear in the academic literature, the focus is overwhelmingly on government contractors, rather than on intelligence activities for the benefit of private corporations. While there is a subset of the literature that has taken note of the intelligence services of corporations, these often view the field as a post-9/11 development, which has eroded a state monopoly of intelligence. This thesis demonstrates – through archival and secondary source research - that such a monopoly never existed. Private sector intelligence is at least as old as the organised intelligence activities of the nation state. Through semi-structured interviews and surveys with contemporary practitioners, this thesis demonstrates how private sector intelligence - via the framework of the Intelligence Cycle - resembles state intelligence. However, it also demonstrates that the private sector differs in important ways, such as through intelligence sharing and minimal oversight. This lack of oversight, this thesis argues, introduces ethical issues. This research demonstrates a need for an expansion of the scholarly literature to account for intelligence activities outside of the state; deepening our understanding of a wider intelligence field.