Off-grid
Chapter 3: Non-technical communications—echelons, abort signals, far signals, bona fides
Tradecraft, within the intelligence community, refers to the techniques, methods, and technologies used in modern espionage.
If you want to see a TV drama with a lot of adapted tradecraft, watch The Wire. We’ll go much further than that.
Non-technical communications (NTC), in the language of tradecraft, began to avoid using phones and to conceal the passage of communications from those who might be watching. Still applies, but add the introduction of the electronic surveillance grid. We’ll discuss several kinds of of NTC later, but first we need to discuss a few basic terms.
In every instance of NTC, there are two people (who may never actually meet, or who may). One is the higher echelon, the other the lower echelon. The higher echelon plans and controls the exchange. The first thing the higher echelon (or an even higher echelon handler) has to to is prepare an extremely detailed plan, which itself will be passed along via NTC. We’ll show a sample plan later in the series.
Far signals, abort signals, and bona fides facilitate exchanges without passing any otherwise substantive information.
Far signals are observable from a distance. They can be anything from a silver tack on a phone pole, a chalk mark, a flowerpot in a window, clothing items, whatever. Far signals can tell one that other exchange points are “loaded” and need to be serviced. They can answer an outstanding question yes or no. Or they can tell the lower echelon to abort the exchange.
“If the window shades at [xxxxx] are open, continue to site 1. Closed means abort. As you approach site 1, the dead drop is loaded if you see an X chalked into the postal drop box on the final approach. If there is a red bag of garbage on the trash can next to the drop, abort.”
Bona fides [BONE-ah FEED-ays] are personal exchanges to verify identity. My far bona fides is a green baseball cap over a red t-shirt. My near bona fides is the following verbal exchange—Lower echelon: “Is Flanders Street that way?” Higher echelon: ““Yes, but you’re better off going back that way and cutting left on Howard.”
NEXT: Vetting and cellular security