How Does an Undercover Agent Spend a Workday?

Maintaining Cover

The most important task an undercover agent faces is maintaining his cover. It is his assumed identity that allows the agent to remain undercover. Any time an undercover agent is in public or with people who do not know that he is an agent, he must work hard to maintain this cover identity. This may include speaking with an accent, responding to an assumed name and remembering various facts about the cover identity, including the persona's supposed areas of expertise and personal history. Depending on the type of assignment, this can take up the vast majority of the agent's workday. If the agent is working undercover with people who would have reason to doubt his identity, he agent must take extra care to avoid arousing suspicion.

Achieving Objectives

In addition to concealing her true identity, an undercover agent must always be thinking about to how to fulfill any assigned objectives. Sometimes, these objectives may involve trying to research and access important information. Other times, the task may be to befriend a certain individual and gain his confidence. Secret agents may also be called upon to sabotage a group or a structure. In some cases, an undercover agent's objectives will be more vague, and may involve her simply attempting to gather whatever information she can that she thinks may be relevant. At other times, an agent's assignment will simply be to recruit other people to become agents.

Communication

The final part of an agent's workday entails communicating with his superior officers or "handlers." These communications are important because they allow the agent to receive new orders, as well as giving him a chance to report on his progress, as well as communicate any fears or concerns he may have. These communications must be kept secret, both to prevent them from being intercepted and to avoid arousing suspicion. With the growing use of computers and encrypted technology, an agent will often communicate over the Internet, either by using heavily encrypted messages or by posting anonymously to an agreed-upon message board.