Counterintelligence Theory and Practice

by Hank Prunckun

Overview

Counterintelligence Theory and Practice, Third Edition, offers comprehensive updates, expanded content, new case studies, and a new chapter on cybersecurity, providing readers with the latest insights into counterintelligence practices.Delve into the ethical dimensions of counterintelligence, stressing the importance of principled decision-making in safeguarding national interests and corporate assets. Engage with interactive exercises and scenarios, honing your analytical and critical thinking abilities through practical applications. Benefit from a multidisciplinary perspective encompassing psychology, technology, international relations, and criminology, making this edition a comprehensive resource for understanding counterintelligence. Explore a wide array of recent and historical counterintelligence operations worldwide, offering valuable insights into successful strategies and lessons learned from past failures. From fundamentals to advanced tactics, this edition covers all counterintelligence aspects, catering to professionals, academics, and students alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538194492
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/19/2026
Series:	Security and Professional Intelligence Education Series
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	1.11(w) x 1.11(h) x 1.11(d)

About the Author

Hank Prunckun is an adjunct associate research professor with the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, Charles Sturt University, Sydney. He is the author of Counterintelligence Theory and Practice and Methods of Inquiry for Intelligence Analysis.

Table of Contents

Foreword by To Be Advised2 pages
Preface2 pages
About the Study Questions1 page
Key Concepts to Note1 page
1 Challenges for Counterintelligence
2 Fundamentals of Counterintelligence
3 Counterintelligence Theory
4 Tenets of Defensive Counterintelligence
5 Defensive Counterintelligence Planning
6 Defensive Counterintelligence: Physical Security
7 Defensive Counterintelligence: Personnel Security
8 Defensive Counterintelligence: Information Security
9 Defensive Counterintelligence: Communications Security
10 Tenets of Offensive Counterintelligence
11 Offensive Counterintelligence Planning
12 Offensive Counterintelligence: Detection
13 Offensive Counterintelligence: Deception
14 Offensive Counterintelligence: Neutralization
15 Counterintelligence Tradecraft
16 Ethics of Counterintelligence
17 Unpacking Cases of Traditional and Cyber Counterintelligence
Index
About the Author

What People are Saying About This

Jeremy G. Carter

Literature on intelligence-related issues often suffers from a combination of generalities and misspecifications – Dr. Prunckun’s Counterintelligence Theory and Practice remedies these shortcomings. This book provides both scholars and professionals with tangible action-steps to advance counterintelligence research and refine counterintelligence practices. While the book may focus on counterintelligence, it is certainly a must-read for those seeking guidance on all types of intelligence-related phenomena.

Patrick F. Walsh

In an increasingly complex security environment – dominated by ‘global outlaws’- and in a world where civil society is challenging the very notion of what is ‘secret’ and what is in the public interest, counterintelligence will become an even more important part of effective intelligence practice. Prunckun offers in this book a unique, comprehensive and open source treatment of counterintelligence theory and practice, which will provide valuable insights to intelligence practitioners and scholars.

Jan Goldman

From the foreword: I am extremely proud to say that this book is one of the few unclassified publications that actually describes what constitutes a successful counterintelligence operation, as well as the elements that compose such an operation. In essence, counterintelligence is about a government’s ability to keep secrets, and this book explains how to do it from both an academic and practitioners’ point of view, which makes this a very special publication.

Editorial Reviews

[An] interesting volume and the work on the theory of counterintelligence is a valuable contribution to the field.... This volume contains several valuable ideas and should be work that counterintelligence scholars become familiar with.

LSE Review of Books

Prunckun has written an outstanding book on what is often an incredibly complex subject. Counterintelligence Theory and Practice is a must read for students of intelligence studies. Its historical examples and set activities also make this text an essential resource for teachers of counterintelligence.

Troy Whitford

Increasing information asphyxia, fake news, hacking, aggressive espionage, and debates about what are legitimate state secrets all challenge those working in the counterintelligence space. In such a crowded threat environment, Prunckun’s sound and no-nonsense primer on the subject peels away the complexity for CI practitioners, whether working in national security, law enforcement, military, or private sector contexts.

Patrick F. Walsh

Prunckun has again delivered a robust and flexible text with the Second Edition of Counterintelligence Theory and Practice. There is rapid growth in the areas of law enforcement intelligence, national security intelligence, counterintelligence, homeland security, terrorism, and numerous other disciplines related to the issues and techniques discussed in this book. These areas require conceptual guidance and tangible techniques related to intelligence and counterintelligence that reflect contemporary issues. Indeed, Prunckun has struck an exemplary balance between pedagogy, research, and practice that should be a must-read for any student, scholar, or practitioner in the arenas of intelligence and counterintelligence. His command of counterintelligence issues and craftsmanship is nothing short of impressive.

Jeremy G. Carter

Increasing information asphyxia, fake news, hacking, aggressive espionage, and debates about what are legitimate state secrets all challenge those working in the counterintelligence space. In such a crowded threat environment, Prunckun's sound and no-nonsense primer on the subject peels away the complexity for CI practitioners, whether working in national security, law enforcement, military, or private sector contexts.

Prunckun has again delivered a robust and flexible text with the Second Edition of Counterintelligence Theory and Practice. There is rapid growth in the areas of law enforcement intelligence, national security intelligence, counterintelligence, homeland security, terrorism, and numerous other disciplines related to the issues and techniques discussed in this book. These areas require conceptual guidance and tangible techniques related to intelligence and counterintelligence that reflect contemporary issues. Indeed, Prunckun has struck an exemplary balance between pedagogy, research, and practice that should be a must-read for any student, scholar, or practitioner in the arenas of intelligence and counterintelligence. His command of counterintelligence issues and craftsmanship is nothing short of impressive.

Prunckun has written an outstanding book on what is often an incredibly complex subject. Counterintelligence Theory and Practice is a must read for students of intelligence studies. Its historical examples and set activities also make this text an essential resource for teachers of counterintelligence.

From the Publisher

From the foreword: I am extremely proud to say that this book is one of the few unclassified publications that actually describes what constitutes a successful counterintelligence operation, as well as the elements that compose such an operation. In essence, counterintelligence is about a government’s ability to keep secrets, and this book explains how to do it from both an academic and practitioners’ point of view, which makes this a very special publication.

Jan Goldman

Counterintelligence Theory and Practice fills a needed void: a textbook of counterintelligence processes, theories, and examples that are relevant, practical, and easy to use. . . . This book, Counterintelligence Theory and Practice, is definitely worth buying, and at the price it is a very reasonable investment. This book should be utilized at military school houses, used for unit refresher training, incorporated into academic classes that provide instruction on counterintelligence, and read by anyone interested in the fascinating world that is counterintelligence.

Vol. 6.3 Journal of Strategic Security