Colloquially known as MI5, the Security Service handles domestic intelligence gathering, protecting the UK's economic interests and democracy, counter-terrorism support and monitors hostile foreign elements within the UK and her dependancies abroad. Nicknamed 'BOX 500' for the Wartime Post Box address, the Service address is currently PO Box 3255, London SW1P 1AE. Based at Thames House, Millbank, the Service has regional offices and facilities. Descended from the old Secret Service Bureau, the Service was renamed Military Intelligence Section 5 during WWI. At the time of writing, the Director-General of the Service was Andrew Parker.
THE SECURITY SERVICE/MI5 CREST
The Portcullis represents Parliament, the Crown the State, the Cinquefoil (Five-leafed flowers) and Roses have Five petals. Further, Roses have a long connection with secrecy-hence the Latin Term for Secrecy Sub-Rosa) The Sea-Lion represents the historic link with the Armed Forces and the motto translates as 'Defend the Empire'.
THAMES HOUSE, MILLBANK, VIEWED FROM ACROSS THE THAMES
Colloquially known as MI6, Britain's SIS, also known as BSIS or 'The Circus' (This may be due to John le Carre's novels or simply because an SOE Department hired premises from the Mills Circus. Cyril Mills, the Circus owner was an MI5 officer and lent his home - and garishly coloured Circus vans - to MI5 to mount postwar surveillance operations against the Russian Embassy) is responsible for foreign intelligence gathering. Again descended from the Secret Intelligence Bureau the then Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 6, the first Director was Captain Sir George Mansfield-Cumming. Known within the Service as 'C', Cumming signed his papers with the cipher in green ink, a tradition which it is believed persists. High value reports came to be known as 'CX' (Cummings Exclusively) and the term also endures, with intelligence 'product' known by the initials and an accompanying numbered grade.
The UK-SIS uses the coat of arms of the UK.
The Service retains various training and research establishments such as 'The Fort' - Fort Monckton near Portsmouth for example. At 'The Fort' new trainees undergo various instruction, including small arms, though more as a moral booster. There is also a small museum containing relics of the Cold War and SOE's wartime struggle and accomodation, bars (Socialising is an important camaraderie-builder and often a cover for approaches to potential sources or agents) and a Helicopter pad.
In 1995, UK-SIS moved from it's outdated HQ at Century House, Westminster Bridge Road to a purpose built modern structure at Vauxhall Cross. Resembling a ziggurat, the building is believed to have soared above it's projected budget and has facilities such as canteens, a squash court and a gym plus a terrace with a commanding view North across the Thames. The glass is probably specially treated to defeat electronic eavesdropping attempts, there are impressive computer suites and technical support sections. Entrance/exit is strictly controlled by a system of airlock-style cubicles that ensure unauthorised persons do not get past the first barrier. One rumoured feature was a tunnel to be built connecting the building to Whitehall and there have been rumours of an emergency exit feeding into the London Underground system.
Unsurprisingly, the Service has adapted to face the challenges of a changing world, never more so that in the 20thC where the foe was Germany (twice) and then the Soviet Bloc before modern terrorism became a predominant threat. It is no surprise then, that the Service has been embroiled in the odd controversy. For example; Kim Philby, an SIS Officer was found to be a Russian agent and there are reports that the Service was approached to assassinate President Nasser of Egypt during the Suez Crisis. More recently, former officer Richard Tomlinson alleges in his book The Big Breach that SIS was involved in a plan to assassinate Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian President with a strobe light in a tunnel to disorientate his driver and cause a fatal crash. Unsurprisingly, this has caused comparison with the death of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul - the latter allegedly an SIS agent. (Intelligence services are not stupid; Hotel staff are privy to a staggering amount of information and are often recruited as agents.) It should be noted that despite the sensationalism, such reports are rare, comprising a tiny amount of UK-SIS's work and such lurid details shed a poor light on the Service's true record. The fact you aren't reading this in German, Russian or Arabic should tell you all you need to know about the Service's effectiveness, diligence and professionalism.
ABOVE: VAUXHALL CROSS, SIS-UK HQ
GCHQ - THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS HEADQUARTERS
The UK's SIGINT Agency, GCHQ is based in Cheltnham. Descended from the old Government Code and Cypher School that famously cracked the Enigma code at Bletchley Park, GCHQ is divided into the Composite Signals Organisation which gathers SIGINT and the CESG - the Information Security arm. In 1951 GCHQ moved to two sites at Cheltenham, moving to a purpose-built building (Known as 'The Doughnut') in 2003.
ABOVE: GCHQ CHELTENHAM
GCHQ maintains a chain of listening stations at Bude, Scarborough, Ascension Island and Menwith Hill (Shared with the USA) as well as stations in Cyprus and Australia. Media attention has focused on the agency's use of surveillance
The CESG advises Government on security risks in IT and designs security against them, supplies staff to cover this along with incident response and the supply of cryptographic keys to protect data. They also work with industry to protect the UK's infrastructure to prevent cyber-attack.
ABOVE: INSIDE GCHQ
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