The material scope of the research problem presented in the text encompasses the issues concerned with the possibilities for and limitations of recruiting secret collaborators by the Polish civilian intelligence service. The analysis of the problematics of secret collaboration focuses mainly on institutional and legal aspects, which can be seen in its inclusion in the systemic legal perspective, encompassing such dimensions as administrative and legal, criminal and legal, civil and legal, and ethical one. Next to the normative aspects, the text addresses sociological and psychological aspects of recruiting secret collaborators by special services, thereby depicting the main recruitment methods. The methodology adopted is chiefly based on the institutional and legal approach, in which use is made of, inter alia, textual, functional and systemic interpretations. The problem of possible abuse concerned with the recruitment of secret collaborators by special services is illustrated with an abstract case study and a relevant legal interpretation. Besides, to extend the analysis of psychological and sociological aspects of recruiting secret collaborators, the study uses limited open interviews with former officers of the civilian special services operating in Poland before 1990.

Areas of interest for intelligence agencies in the third decade of the 21st century. Selected aspects

The scale and dynamics of the changes taking place in the global security space, perzy the lack of rational decisions and actions, result in serious threats to the performance of internal and external functions by states. In order to minimise or prevent their occurrence, a system of securing information needs for authorised civilian and military entities is being created. These tasks are performed by specialised government agencies (e.g. special services) supplying information, which is used in the process of state security management. Only the monitoring of the internal and external environment makes it possible to gain information on phenomena, events and processes that affect the level of state security. This knowledge makes it possible to indicate the directions of the work of the special services, which carry out their statutory tasks in the personal and technical information space. Knowledge of the threats occurring in the state’s environment, allows to conduct an effective policy on state security.