THE IMPORTANCE AND ROLE OF ESPIONAGE AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

This paper defines espionage as the secret activity of collecting useful data. Old civilizations such as Ancient Rome, Greece or Egypt used a variety of spy techniques and methods in order to create a clear picture of their enemies. The XX century was marked by world wars and the bipolar world division, which resulted in great tensions and confrontations at the international level. It was the time when the world’s most powerful intelligence services were formed, while their agents used various abilities to harm the rival side. Therefore, this paper analyzes spy activities, as well as espionage that take place in modern times, in which the race for weapons and economic domination occupies the most important place. Nowadays we are confronting a new form of espionage (industrial espionage), because multinational companies are consolidating their dominant position.