Honey Trapped

Some western countries are being flooded by short and long-term spies who are planted by their enemies into the political and technological fabric of a country. These women and men are astute, have perfect language skills and are adept at befriending targeted individuals to attain information or influence. Blackmail usually follows as the relationship becomes sexual.

This article, regarding the Chinese honey trap plot, mainly focuses on women agents confounding men through sex. However, it fails to mention the women agents’ attributes of exceptional intellect, strategic and creative planning, communication and technological skills to do their jobs well.

Although possible, but questionable, the article comments that many agents may be coerced into spying by pressuring or threatening their families on the home front, suggesting a lack of the women’s self-agency and empowerment.

Regardless, the only way to prevent these HUMINT (human intelligence gathering) threats to the political and technological fabric is through education and awareness, as such surveillance continues to be just as compromising as cyber espionage hacking, which has received so much press in the last few years.