Legal Definitions - Office of Counterintelligence

The Office of Counterintelligence is a specialized division within the U.S. Department of Energy. Its primary role is to protect critical energy-related information, technologies, and infrastructure from foreign intelligence threats. This office identifies, neutralizes, and counters attempts by foreign governments or entities to steal industrial secrets, compromise research, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data related to U.S. energy programs and facilities.

Here are a few examples of situations where the Office of Counterintelligence would be involved:

• Protecting Advanced Reactor Designs: Imagine a foreign government's intelligence agency attempting to recruit an engineer working at a U.S. national laboratory. This engineer has access to highly classified designs for a next-generation nuclear reactor. The foreign agency's goal is to obtain these designs to accelerate their own nuclear program or gain a competitive advantage. The Office of Counterintelligence would detect and disrupt this recruitment effort, protecting the sensitive technology and ensuring the engineer's loyalty and the security of the designs.
• Safeguarding Renewable Energy Innovations: Consider a situation where a foreign state-sponsored company is trying to infiltrate a private U.S. research firm collaborating with the Department of Energy on groundbreaking battery storage technology. The foreign company might attempt to plant an insider or launch sophisticated cyberattacks to steal proprietary research data, manufacturing processes, or intellectual property. The Office of Counterintelligence would work to identify these threats, strengthen the security protocols, and prevent the theft of these valuable industrial secrets, thereby protecting U.S. innovation in renewable energy.
• Preventing Espionage at Energy Facilities: Suppose a foreign intelligence service is observed conducting surveillance on a critical U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal. Their objective might be to gather intelligence on the facility's operational vulnerabilities, security measures, or supply chain logistics, potentially for future economic disruption or sabotage. The Office of Counterintelligence would investigate these activities, assess the threat, and implement measures to neutralize the foreign intelligence operation, safeguarding the nation's energy infrastructure and economic interests.