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Private intelligence in the Republic of Slovenia: theoretical, legal, and practical aspects

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Abstract

The article explores elements of private intelligence in the Republic of Slovenia (hereinafter Slovenia) using a combination of theoretical, legal, and practical aspects. The theoretical aspects define and explain intelligence through its fundamental elements and concepts. These fundamental elements are then further utilized in the context of legal aspects to identify the main private intelligence actors in Slovenia. Finally, the practical aspects of private intelligence were researched with an online survey among companies dealing with private detective investigations, private security, information security, and security consulting. The exact spread and impact of private intelligence and counterintelligence in Slovenia is definitively not easy to assess. However, an analysis of legal framework and findings from online survey suggest that there are identifiable but limited elements of private intelligence and counterintelligence, with the latter primarily limited to passive protective measures, mostly performed by private detectives and private security companies. Although it is likely difficult, further research of corporate use of intelligence and counterintelligence in Slovenia would be needed.

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Notes

  1. Other forms of collection can be for example data collection for academic purposes or general data collection for customer services. The paper is more focused on the gathering data on threats, meaning the defensive nature of intelligence.

  2. Slovenia joined EU and NATO in 2004.

  3. Criminal Code of the Republic of Slovenia (2008) defines it as unlawful discloser of a secret which a person got access to due to their professional position as a counsel for the defence, lawyer, doctor, priest, social worker or psychologist or by way of performing any other profession.

  4. Security control center is basically a unit or room from which operators can monitor security issues on an organizational and technical level. According to the Private Security Act (2011), operation of a security control center means the management and constant physical control by SCC operators of installed technical security systems, systems and devices for protection of persons, property, an area or a protected person, as well as control of telecommunication paths for the transmission of alarm signals, performed in the SCC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Slovenia, Vojkova cesta 55, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Jaroš Britovšek

  2. Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, Kotnikova ulica 8, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Bojan Tičar & Andrej Sotlar

Authors
  1. Jaroš Britovšek
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  2. Bojan Tičar
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  3. Andrej Sotlar
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Correspondence to Andrej Sotlar.

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Britovšek, J., Tičar, B. & Sotlar, A. Private intelligence in the Republic of Slovenia: theoretical, legal, and practical aspects. Secur J 31, 410–427 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-017-0107-0

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