The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: National Security, Counterintelligence, and Counterespionage: A Guide for the Perplexed
Mar 18, 2026
Derek Pieper, retired FBI assistant special agent in charge with two decades leading counterintelligence and counterespionage teams, discusses how the two fields differ and why training matters. He talks about insider recruitment versus foreign targeting. They cover expanding CI to influence and cyber threats, challenges of investigating colleagues, and why politicization risks undermining investigations.
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Counterintelligence Versus Counterespionage
- Counterintelligence covers foreign intelligence officers operating in the U.S. while counterespionage focuses on U.S. persons recruited to provide secrets.
- Derek Pieper described his career across NY and WFO showing CI targets the foreign actor and CE targets the American insider.
CI Expanded To Influence And Economic Theft
- CI expanded from classic spycraft to include foreign influence, cyber-enabled operations, and economic espionage as actors operate remotely.
- Pieper traced growth from physical recruitment to online influence and task forces created around 2017.
Assign Recruiters And Handlers By Skill
- Match agent roles to strengths: use expert recruiters for first contact and experienced handlers to maintain sources.
- Pieper warned you can't replace seasoned recruiting and handling skills overnight after mass departures.