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“HERMES” Institute of International Affairs, Security & Geoeconomy
www.hermesresearch.eu
Email: info@hermesresearch.eu
OCCASIONAL PAPER 1/2024
The Institutional Reform of the Greek National
Intelligence Service (NIS) and its First Historical
2023 Annual Report:
Threats, Challenges and Future Considerations
Regarding the National Security of the Hellenic
Republic
By
Georgios Koukakis
Research Associate of “HERMES” I.I.A.S.GE
January 2024
PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE TO THOSE WHO SHAPE THE FUTURE
i
“HERMES” I.I.A.S.GE
“HERMES” Institute of International Affairs, Security & Geoeconomy (“HERMES” I.I.A.S.GE) is
an independent, non – governmental, non – profit organization, consisting of scholars dedicated in
the research and analysis of international affairs in regional and global level. The Institute aims at
providing objective, scientific, and reliable research analysis through a variety of studies
contributing effectively and constructively in the public dialogue and the evolution of scientific
knowledge.
Copyright © 2024
“HERMES” Institute for Foreign Affairs, Security & Geoeconomy
All rights reserved
“HERMES” Institute of International Affairs, Security & Geoeconomy offers
a forum for researchers to express their views freely, thoroughly and well-
documented. The views expressed in this occasional paper are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent those of the “HERMES” Institute.
Occasional Papers aim to contribute constructively in public debate in a wide
range of international politics, defense, security and geoeconomy topics.
ii
Georgios Koukakis
Research Associate of “HERMES” I.I.A.S.GE
Georgios has graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy (2002), the
Hellenic Army War College (2020) and the Hellenic Supreme Joint War
College (2023), and holds a Master of Arts in “Governance, Development and
Security in the Mediterranean” from the Department of Mediterranean Studies of the University of
the Aegean (Rhodes, Greece). His dissertation focused on the prospects of establishing a National
Security Council (NSC) in the Hellenic Republic (Greece).
He is also a Senior Analyst in the Center for International Strategic Analyses (KEDISA), and
a member of the Hellenic Institute of Strategic Studies (HEL.I.S.S.), ALLILONnet the Global
Network of Greeks and Friends of Greece for Solidarity in the Professional Field and the Mercury
Negotiation Academy (MNA). He has participated as a speaker in several seminars and conferences
regarding international relations in the fields of foreign policy, security and defense.
Many of his articles and research papers have been published in the “Global Security and
Intelligence Notes” (GSIN) of the Buckingham Centre of Security & Intelligence Studies
(BUCSIS), the “HAPSc Policy Briefs” Journal of the Hellenic Association of Political Scientists,
the “NRDC-GR Herald” Journal of NRDC-GR, the “Military Review” Journal of the Hellenic
Army General Staff (HAGS), the “Cultural Diplomacy Journal” of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural
Diplomacy (HICD), a number of websites such as “Foreign Affairs - The Hellenic Edition”, “Policy
Journal”, “Geopolitics & Daily News”, “HuffPost Greece” and “Liberal”.
He is the co-author of the book “National Security: Myths and Reality” (In Greek) that was
published in April 2023. He speaks English at a professional level.
Email: g_k_koukakis@yahoo.gr
LinkedIn: Georgios Koukakis
iii
Abstract
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) of Greece has been recently under the spotlight, due
to a spyware and wiretapping scandal known as the Greek “Watergate” that broke out in 2022 and
resulted in the resignation of its Director and a hearing organized by an EU committee on the use of
spyware in Greece. This situation led to a number of major institutional changes as far as its
structure, its operational procedures and its legal framework, in order to ensure the proper function
of the Service, the protection of human rights of the Greek citizens and the restoration of the public
trust in the Service.
One of the main changes that took place in 2023 as far as NIS’s function is concerned, is the
issuance of an Annual Report of Priorities and Fields of Action concerning the time period from
September 2022 to August 2023. The report describes the main threats for the Greek national
security and their origin, the relation between (national) security and human rights, the most
important reforms that took place, and the actions taken by the Service in order to be able to protect
the Greek citizens and national interests from future threats to national security.
The aim of this paper is to present the institutional reforms of NIS, assess the effectiveness of
the measures taken, and provide several considerations regarding the national security of the
Hellenic Republic. Bibliography is based on books, academic papers, websites, and official
documents, and the research method used is the qualitative method. It includes a brief presentation
of NIS’s basic information (mission, objectives, historical background and organizational structure),
the description of the context of its first 2023 Annual Report, a thorough analysis of the
formentioned report, and finally some future considerations as far as the national security of the
Hellenic Republic is concerned.
-------------------------------
Key Words: Artificial Intelligence, Coercion, Cybersecurity, Espionage, Extremism, NIS, Greece,
Human Rights, Intelligence, Migration, National Security, Organized Crime, Reform, Security
Environment, Technology, Terrorism, Threats
iv
Table of Contents
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... iii
Table of Abbreviations......................................................................................................................... v
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
2. Emblem, Mission & Objective of NIS ....................................................................................... 1
3. Historical background ................................................................................................................. 3
4. The organizational structure of NIS ........................................................................................... 4
5. The context of the first 2023 annual report and the reform of NIS ............................................ 6
5.1 Foreword of the Commander ............................................................................................ 6
5.2 The Main Challenges and Evolutions, and the Basic Fields of Action of the National
Intelligence Service during the Past Year ............................................................................................ 7
5.3 Epilogue of the Annual Report ....................................................................................... 11
6. Analysis of the 2023 Annual Report ........................................................................................ 11
7. Future considerations ................................................................................................................ 18
8. Concluding Remarks ................................................................................................................ 21
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................... 23
Annexes .............................................................................................................................................. 29
A. Office of the Director of National Intelligence Organizational Chart ............................ 29
B. The Elements of the US Intelligence Community .......................................................... 30
C. The Seals of the Elements of the US Intelligence Community ....................................... 31
v
Table of Abbreviations
AI
Artificial Intelligence
ATA
Annual Threat Assessment
CBRN
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
CCCM
Committee for the Coordination of Cybersecurity Matters
CIIS
Central Information and Investigation Service
CIS
Central Intelligence Service
CV
Curriculum Vitae
DG
Director General
DNI
Director of National Intelligence
EP
European Parliament
EU
European Union
NIS
Hellenic National Intelligence Service
GSS
General Security Service
HNDGS
Hellenic National Defence General Staff
HPSCI
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
IC
Intelligence Community
IRTPA
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act
ISC
Intelligence and Security Committee
KETYAK
Centre for Technological Support, Development and Innovation
KYSEA
Governmental National Security Council
MoDG
Ministry of Digital Governance
MoFA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MPS
Military Protection Service
vi
NCSA
National Cyber Security Authority
NCSC
National Cyber Security Centre
NCS
National Cybersecurity Strategy
NIC
National Intelligence Council
NIS
National Intelligence Strategy
NSA
National Security Adviser
NSC
National Security Council
NSS
National Security Strategy
ODNI
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
PASOK-KINAL
PanHellenic Socialist Movement - Movement for Change
PCO
Press and Communication Office
PM
Prime Minister
SG
Secretary General
SSCIAT
Special Standing Committee on Institutions and Transparency
UK
United Kingdom
WSSS
War Special Services Section
1
1. Introduction
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is the intelligence service of Greece, having a history
of almost 100 years
1
. Unfortunately, its reputation was severely damaged in 2022 due to a spyware
and wiretapping scandal known as the Greek “Watergate”
2
leading to the resignation of NIS’s
Director and the Secretary General (SG) of the Prime Minister’s (PM) Office
3
, as well as a hearing
organized by the PEGA Committee
4
of the European Union (EU) on the use of spyware in Greece
5
.
It must also be stressed that the Greek PM, Kyriakos Mitsotakis admitted that the leader of
PASOK-KINAL
6
, Nikos Androulakis had been under surveillance by NIS without his knowledge,
despite that one of his first actions after his election in 2019 was to issue the Law 4622
7
, which
provided that NIS is placed under the direct control of the Greek PM
8
. The formentioned incidents
resulted into the endorsement of several reform measures regarding the structure, competences,
operational and legal procedures of the Service, in order to ensure its democratic function and
restore the public trust of NIS.
2. Emblem, Mission & Objective of NIS
The emblem of NIS consists of a blue shield, in the center of which there is a miniature of the
globe and a hand holding a torch, symbolizing the search of truth all over the world. On top of the
shield there is a white scroll with the name of the Service (ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑ
ΠΛΗΡΟΦΟΡΙΩΝ) in modern Greek, while on the sideways there is another white scroll containing
the phrase “ΛΟΓΩΝ ΑΠΟΡΡΗΤΩΝ ΕΚΦΟΡΑΝ ΜΗ ΠΟΙΟΥ” (in ancient Greek) of Periander of
1
Further information is provided in the “Historical background & Organizational structure” part of this paper.
2
European Parliament News, “Greek spyware and wiretapping scandal: MEPs to debate recent revelations”.
[Briefing], 08 September 2022. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/agenda/briefing/2022-09-12/8/greek-spyware-
and-wiretapping-scandal-meps-to-debate-recent-revelations (17/12/2023).
3
Samaras Georgios, “Greece’s ‘Watergate’ explained: why the European Parliament is investigating over a
wiretapping scandal”. The Conversation, 08 November 2022.
https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/186983947/Greece_s_Watergate_explained_why_the_European_Parliame
nt_is_investigating_over_a_wiretapping_scandal.pdf (17/12/2023).
4
Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware.
5
European Parliament Committees, “PEGA: Hearing on 'Use of spyware in Greece'”. 08 September 2022.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/pega-hearing-on-use-of-spyware-in-greece/product-
details/20220912CHE10601 (17/12/2023).
6
PASOK-KINAL is the Greek socialist (center-left) opposition party.
7
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Law 4622 (Paper 133A)” [Official Document (In Greek)].
07 August 2019. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20190100133 (17/12/2023).
8
Michalopoulos Sarantis, “Greek PM admits bugging socialist leader’s phone was wrong”. Euractiv, 11 May 2023.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/greek-pm-admits-bugging-socialist-leaders-phone-was-wrong/
(17/12/2023).
2
Corinth
9
, which means “Do not reveal secrets”, indicating that most of the activities of NIS (must)
remain unknown to the public.
The emblem of the National Intelligence Service of Greece
(Source: www.nis.gr)
As far as the role of NIS is concerned – according to NIS’s official website– the mission of
the Service is to:
“[…] collect, analyze and share information with the relevant
authorities, with a view to preventing and countering espionage and
terrorist threats, ensuring cyber-security, as well as countering activities
that may pose threat to the democratic regime, fundamental human rights,
our country’s territorial integrity and national security”
10
.
The competences of NIS include being the INFOSEC
11
National Authority providing –
among others – assistance to state’s agencies in matters of information security and
communication
12
, the CRYPTO National Authority providing support to the state agencies and the
9
Periander of Corinth (627 B.C.- 587 B.C.) was the second tyrant of Corinth, a patron of art and literature, and is
considered to be one of the seven wise men of ancient Greece. He is known for his firm and effective governance and
the development of commerce, leading to Corinth’s prosperity. He also established several colonies, a toll system, and
promoted Corinth’s culture. For further information visit: The Editors of Encyclopedia, “Periander”. Encyclopedia
Britannica, 12 February 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Periander (17/12/2023).
10
National Security Service, “Our Mission and Competences”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/agency/mission-and-
responsibilities (17/12/2023).
11
Information Security.
12
For further information visit: National Security Service, “INFOSEC”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/information-
security/infosec (17/12/2023).
3
Hellenic Armed Forces as far as the crypto security matters are concerned
13
, the TEMPEST
14
National Authority carrying out inspections in critical infrastructures to check the appliance of
relevant measures
15
, and the National Authority against Cyber Attacks providing support as far as
prevention, early-warning and countering cyber-attacks are concerned, through the National
CERT
16
.
Moreover, in 2020 NIS defined cybersecurity as one of its main priorities
17
, and began its
direct cooperation with the research community of the Centre for Technological Support,
Development and Innovation (KETYAK),
18
which was established by the Presidential Decree 96.
19
Finally, the objective of NIS – acting in a demanding and complex security environment with
a plethora of external and internal threats – is to:
“[…] prevent, avert, deter and neutralize espionage and terrorist
threats, with the aim of shielding the country and defending the Greek
national interests”.
20
3. Historical Background
In 1925 Greece founded the General Security Service (GSS) of the State having as a core
mission the protection of its national security and in 1936 established the Defense Service of the
Greek State. During World War II, the need to provide intelligence for the security of the Hellenic
Armed Forces and the Greek Government in addition to the collaboration with allied counterpart
Services led to the establishment of the War Special Services Section (WSSS), and in 1946 it was
transformed into the Military Protection Service (MPS) under military command.
21
13
For further information visit: National Security Service, “CRYPTO”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/information-
security/crypto (17/12/2023).
14
Telecommunication Electronics Material Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions.
15
For further information visit: National Security Service, “TEMPEST”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/information-
security/tempest (17/12/2023).
16
Computer Emergency Response Team. For further information visit: National Security Service, “National CERT”.
No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/national-cert/ (17/12/2023).
17
National Security Service, “Timeline”. Ibid.
18
For further information regarding KETYAK visit: National Intelligence Service, “KETYAK”. No date.
https://www.nis.gr/en/ketyak/ (16/12/2023).
19
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Presidential Decree 96 (Paper 232A)” [Official Document
(In Greek)]. 20 November 2020. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20200100232 (17/12/2023).
20
National Security Service, “Our Objective”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/agency/objective (17/12/2023).
21
National Security Service, “Timeline”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/agency/historical-background/timeline
(17/12/2023).
4
In 1952 the MPS was restructured into the Central Information and Investigation Service
(CIIS) – dealing with the internal and external security of the Greek State – and in 1953 the CIIS
was renamed into Central Intelligence Service (CIS) having as a mission to provide intelligence for
national and public security, and the security of the Armed Forces as well. In 1974 the restoration of
Democracy in Greece
22
resulted in the redefinition of the role of CIS, and in 1978 the Service was
relocated to its present location.
In 1986 CIS was transformed into a separate civil organization according to international
standards, being renamed into the current National Intelligence Service, and in 1999 it began to
cooperate with other foreign Intelligence Services in order to address global asymmetric threats. In
2004 NIS contributed to security of the Athens Olympic Games, and in 2008 the Hellenic
Government issued Law 3649, institutionalizing the transparency of its activity.
23
As mentioned in the Introduction, in 2019 NIS was placed under the direct control of the
Greek PM as part of the Presidency of the Hellenic Government. It is directed by a Director-
General – responsible for the formulation of NIS’s strategic vision and the determination of the way
it should be achieved in the light of national priorities
24
assisted by two Deputy Director-Generals; a
Deputy Director-General for External Affairs and a Deputy Director-General for Domestic Security.
4. The Organizational Structure of NIS
The initial organizational structure of NIS was established in 1986 by Law 1645, defining the
Service comprised of a Central Service that included several Secretariats, Directorates, and
independent Offices, as well as Regional Units (without defining the number or competences of any
of them). In 2008 an Office of the Legal Adviser of the Legal Council of State and a Historic
Archive Service were added to its structure, according to Law 3649/2008.
25
The organizational structure of NIS was changed in 2017 – according to the Presidential
Decree 1/2017
26
- to include Regional Support Units, Electronic Units, Liaison Officers assigned in
various locations of Greece and abroad, and the following fourteen Directorates, Sections and
Offices.
22
A military dictatorship was imposed in Greece in 1967.
23
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Law 3649 (Paper 39A)” [Official Document (In Greek)].
03 March 2008. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20080100039 (17/12/2023).
24
National Security Service, “Director-General”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/agency/administration (18/12/2023).
25
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Law 3649 (Paper 39A)” [Official Document (In Greek)].
03 March 2008. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20080100039 (19/12/2023).
26
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Presidential Decree 1 (Paper 2A)” [Official Document (In
Greek)]. 17 January 2017. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20170100002 (19/12/2023).
5
Directorate of Operational Planning.
Internal and International Relations Directorate.
Directorate of Internal Security.
Directorate for External Affairs.
Directorate for Electronic Information.
Directorate for Information Systems.
Cyber Directorate.
Directorate for Administrative Support and Human Resources.
Directorate for Financial Management and Infrastructure.
Security Directorate.
Audit Office.
Historical Archives Section.
Historical Museum Section.
Office of Systems Security.
In 2020 – according to the Presidential Decree 96/2020
27
- the Service was restructured again
to comprise the Headquarters and the Regional Units, including the following ten Directorates,
Sections and Offices:
Directorate of Intelligence and Analysis Α.
Directorate of Intelligence and Analysis Β.
Cyberspace Directorate.
Internal and International Relations Directorate.
27
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Presidential Decree 96 (Paper 232A)” [Official Document
(In Greek)]. 20 November 2020. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20200100232 (19/12/2023).
6
Directorate for Information Systems.
Site Security & Surveillance Directorate.
Directorate for Administrative Support and Human Resources.
Directorate for Financial Services and Infrastructure.
Financial Inspector Office.
Historical Archives and Historical Museum Section.
Parts of NIS’s structure are also the following two Offices and a Research Center located at
the Service’s facilities.
Office of the Legal Adviser of the Legal Council of State.
Office of the Public Prosecutor at the Athens Court of Appeal.
28
Centre for Technological Support, Development and Innovation (ΚΕΤΥΑΚ).
5. The Context of the First 2023 Annual Report and the Reform of NIS
The first Annual Report of NIS was published on November 21st, 2023.
29
Its full title is
“Annual Report of Priorities and Fields of Action”, having a length of 20 pages, and comprised of
three parts; the Foreword of the Commander, a part entitled The Main Challenges and Evolutions,
and the Basic Fields of Action of NIS during the Past Year, and the Epilogue.
5.1 Foreword of the Commander
In the foreword of the 2023 Annual Report (pages 3-5) entitled “Message from the
Commander”,
30
Themistocles Demiris stresses that the main objective set in August 2022 – the
time when he assumed the command of NIS – was to improve the operational capabilities of the
Service along with the re-evaluation of its auditing framework, according to the Prime Minister’s
intend to establish a Service that would be more effective, use modern methods and equipment, be
open to society, have better control mechanisms, and highly trained personnel.
28
The Office of the Public Prosecutor is acting independently within the facilities of NIS.
29
National Security Service, “Annual Report on Priorities and Fields of Action of the National Intelligence Service”
[Press Release (In Greek)]. 21 November 2023. https://www.nis.gr/el/news/3579 (17/12/2023).
30
The Director of EYP is also referred as “Commander” in several documents.
7
He also points out that his main priorities were the enhancement of the Service’s
prestige and reliability and the assurance of maximum possible effectiveness, fully respecting the
principles of democracy and the rule of law. Moreover, he highlights the main changes introduced
by the Law 5002/2022,
31
the continuing reorganization and modernization process of the Service,
the improved cooperation with other Intelligence Services in international level, several “success
stories” of the Service, and the fact that its 2023 Annual Report is an act of innovation trying to
shed light to the vital role of the Service.
Finally, he concludes by stating that – contrarily to other democratic states where their
Intelligence Services are fully trusted by their citizens – the National Intelligence Service of Greece
is treated by Greek citizens with cautiousness and disrespect. This is mainly the reason why the
Service adopted the internationally applied practice of issuing an annual report that documents its
priorities and selected actions in order to inform national security officials, experts, and the Greek
citizens about the work of the Service.
5.2 The Main Challenges and Evolutions, and the Basic Fields of Action of the
National Intelligence Service During the Past Year
The main part of the 2023 Annual Report describes the conditions prevailing in the
contemporary environment, the main challenges that NIS has been facing, the Service’s most recent
reforms and its basic fields of action from September 2022 to August 2023, consisting of the
following five subparts.
5.2.1 A Complex Environment of Multilevel Crises
The first subpart (pages 6-7) is entitled “A complex environment of multilevel
crises”. It points out that the contemporary security environment is full of challenges related to
geostrategic factors, political, economic and social variables, religious and ideological rivalries,
rapid technological evolutions, and environmental/climate parameters, characterizing our time as an
era of multi-crises in several fields such as domestic security. Thus, addressing hybrid threats is
vital for every state – especially Greece – through international cooperation, adapting to new
conditions, broadening the security agenda to include common global threats, and using multiple
means.
31
For further information visit: Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Law 5002 (Paper 228A)”
[Official Document (In Greek)]. 09 December 2022. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20220100228
(17/12/2023).
8
5.2.2 The Main Threats and Their Origin
The second subpart (pages 7-14) entitled “The main threats and their origin”,
identifies the following six categories of national security threats.
External threats: Addressing external threats in addition to diplomacy is
necessary for Greece and a constant priority for NIS, especially in areas where foreign actors
undermine Greece’s national interests. In this context the Service provided information and
assessments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the National Defense General Staff (NDGS),
the Hellenic Police, the Hellenic Fire Service, the Hellenic Coast Guard and several other state
agencies, facilitating their decision making process. Moreover NIS contributed to tackling
malicious activities, preventing political and economic coercion, and keeping critical national
infrastructure safe.
Espionage: Espionage in addition to the actions of foreign agents are considered
to be the main (national) security threat in European level, as it can undermine national sovereignty
and state security. That is why NIS tackled these threats not only though its own network but also in
cooperation with other European and global partners, without informing the public. On the contrary,
other cases were given publicity such as the infiltration of a foreign agent into Greece, and a
foreigner associated with foreign Intelligence Services that had illegally obtained the Hellenic
citizenship.
Terrorism and Violent extremism: The 2023 Annual Report refers that regional
terrorist groups related to ISIS have recently emerged in Greece, in addition to an increase in the
number of “lone wolfs”.
32
Tackling terrorism remains one the most important challenges in national
and international level, as the use of the internet (dark web, social networks, etc.) facilitates the
jihadist propaganda and the recruitment of future terrorists. Due to its location, Greece acts as a
transit country for far-left and far-right violent extremists, a situation that demands not only
preventive but suppressive measures as well. The excellent cooperation of NIS with the Hellenic
Police led to the arrest of a large number of foreign terrorists and the prevention of numerous
terrorist attacks. The Service also monitored closely several facilities in order to locate future
radicalization phenomena in time.
32
A terrorist is characterised as a ‘lone wolf’ when he operates individually without belonging to an organised terrorist
group or network, though s/he may sympathize or share their ideology. Lone wolfs usually act in a solo basis, without
receiving any command or direction from others. For further information visit: Cohen Katie, “Who will be a lone wolf
terrorist? Mechanisms of self-radicalisation and the possibility of detecting lone offender threats on the Internet”. FOI
Swedish Defence Research Agency, December 2012. https://www.foi.se/rest-api/report/FOI-R--3531--SE (18/12/2023).
9
Illegal migration: As stated in the 2023 Annual Report, illegal migration is one
of the most severe challenges worldwide. As far as Greece is concerned, migration flows have
increasing during 2023, a phenomenon that poses several risks to national security. Moreover, the
instrumentalization of migration by foreign actors demanded the close cooperation of the Service
with several national institutions and agencies, mainly for countering disinformation campaigns
targeting Greece and locating terrorists that had been recruiting migrants and/or using migrant flows
to conceal their actions.
33
Organized crime: Illegal trafficking of humans (women, children, migrants, etc.),
drugs, weapons, and goods as well as actions related to organized crime groups, property crimes
and corruption are reported as the most dangerous forms of organized crime in Greece. To this end,
NIS provided intelligence to other Greek agencies and services, leading to the resolution of many
cases that were also related to terrorism and interstate crime.
Cybersecurity and New Technologies: The last threat identified in the 2023
Annual Report is the rapid development of technology and the possession/use of advanced means
by several actors, giving them the ability to harm critical systems and infrastructure. To effectively
counter this threat, the report states that NIS aims to improve its cyber capabilities by establishing
and operating a Security Operation Center (SOC) within its facilities.
5.2.3 Balance Between Security and Human Rights
The third subpart (pages 14-15) is entitled “Balance between Security and Human
Rights”, points out that security and fundamental rights must be complementary, as the latter should
be the basis of every security policy. To this end Law 5002/2022 introduced several changes
regarding NIS, such as the prerequisites for the selection of its Director, the legal framework for
lifting the secrecy of communications for operational (surveillance) reasons, the (indirect) definition
of national security, and the prohibition of the use of surveillance software and devices.
34
5.2.4 The Reform of the Service
The fourth subpart (pages 15-17) is entitled “The reform of the Service”,
consisting of the following three sections.
33
The 2023 Annual Report of EYP highlights three cases; one in the region of Evros (Greek-Turkish borders), and two
in the Aegean Sea (islands of Lesvos and Kos).
34
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Law 5002 (Paper 228A)”. Ibid.
10
The reorganization of structures and functions: The main priority of the
Service’s Command for the timeframe covered by the 2023 Annual Report was to record the
Service’s weaknesses and to improve the respective sectors through modernization, new internal
structures, innovative operating procedures, and cyber upgrade. The most important changes
though, included:
The appointment of two Deputy Director-Generals – instead of the
preceding three – monitoring separately the External Affairs and Domestic Security.
The establishment of Liaison Officers in several countries of interest.
The relocation of several offices according to the contemporary security
environment conditions.
The enhancement of the Service’s technological capacities and information
systems through innovative methods.
The qualitative upgrade of executive personnel: The second section stresses the
need for education according to the conditions of the domestic and foreign geopolitical, social and
economic environment, as the personnel of the Service is the basic mean for its effective operation.
The actions taken by NIS included joint training with foreign Intelligence Agencies – emphasizing
in sectors such as hybrid threats, cyber-espionage, foreign influence, counter-terrorism – and the
establishment of an Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence Academy, providing training to executive
personnel from other State Agencies and foreign countries.
The openness to society and the improvement of the Security’s image: The
final section of the fourth subpart outlines the relation between NIS and the Greek citizens. In fact,
the recognition and realization of the importance of the mission of the Service by the Greek society
was one of NIS’s main goals during the set timeframe, resulting to the establishment of a Press and
Communication Office (PCO) in order to promote the Service’s work and inform the public.
Moreover, NIS has planned the establishment of an Intelligence Museum
35
and an Internal Audit
Unit, along with the exploitation of its archive.
5.2.5 Preparedness for Future Challenges
35
National Security Service, “Museum of EYP”. No date. https://www.nis.gr/en/agency/museum (17/12/2023).
11
The fifth subpart (pages 18-19) is entitled Preparedness for future challenges,
pointing out the Service’s basic duty of preparing for and adjusting to future crises by integrating
new technologies and financial tools through KETYAK. NIS also focuses on climate crisis – which
can lead to several conflicts, affect tourism and agriculture, and destabilize certain areas – as well as
critical infrastructures, cybersecurity, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)
threats, insider threats,
36
investment activities, and several other matters of political, economic, and
social nature in the regional level.
5.3 Epilogue of the Annual Report
The epilogue of the 2023 Annual Report (page 20) stresses that the fields of action
included in the report are indicative due to the nature and functioning of the Service, as well as that
intelligence failures are usually spread out by media, while successes remain unknown to the public
even if their consequences affect the majority of the citizens. That is why the Annual Report aims to
highlight the importance of national security, the wide range of contemporary threats, and the need
of applying effective countermeasures by the National Intelligence Service.
6. Analysis of the 2023 Annual Report
As far as the description of the contemporary security environment is concerned, its
characterization as an environment of “polycrises” (multiple crises) could not be more precise.
Indeed, our world has been facing a large number of regional and international crises in different
fields (economic, health, food, climate, etc.) during the past decades, in addition to several conflicts
(Russia-Ukraine, Azerbaijan-Armenia, Hamas-Israel, etc.). In fact, in the EU “Strategic Foresight
Report” for 2023 our time is characterized not only as an era of “polycrises” but also as an era of
“permacrises” (permanent crises).
37
Regarding the national security threats identified in the 2023 Annual Report and their origin,
38
it must be outlined that the majority of them is identified by several regional and international actors
36
According to CISA, an insider threat manifests in various ways and is defined as “[…] the threat that an insider will
use their authorized access, intentionally or unintentionally, to do harm to the department’s mission, resources,
personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, or systems”. For further information visit: Cybersecurity &
Infrastructure Security Agency, “Defining Insider Threats”. No date. https://www.cisa.gov/topics/physical-
security/insider-threat-mitigation/defining-insider-threats (19/12/2023).
37
Koukakis Georgios, “The Strategic Foresight Report of the EU for 2023: The EU’s vision for strategic autonomy
until 2050, the future challenges, the proposed fields of action, and the perspectives for Greece” [In Greek]. Foreign
Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 21 July 2023. https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74240/georgios-koykakis/i-ekthesi-
strategic-foresight-tis-ee-gia-to-2023 (18/12/2023).
38
These include external threats, espionage, terrorism, violent extremism, illegal migration, organized crime,
cybersecurity, and new technologies.
12
in their recent strategic documents as well, such as the 2022 National Security Strategy of Japan,
39
the 2022 National Strategic Review of the French Republic,
40
the 2023 National Security Strategy
of the USA,
41
the 2023 Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation,
42
the 2023
Integrated Review Refresh of the United Kingdom,
43
the 2023 National Security Strategy of
Germany,
44
and the 2023 Annual Risk Analysis of FRONTEX.
45
Moreover, the fact that espionage and illegal migration are considered to be two of the most
severe security threats/challenges in national, regional, and international level, needs to be seen in
relation to the geopolitical competition between “West” and “East”,
46
and the ongoing or emerging
armed conflicts. Indeed, espionage can be used by several actors to identify the vulnerabilities of
their rivals, while illegal migration can be characterized both as a preventive measure that can be
used as a leverage of pressure against a certain state (instrumentalization of migration), and the
result of an armed conflict, or (recently) the consequence of climate crisis.
As far as the issuance of an Annual Report is concerned, it must be stressed that it is only a
small step towards regaining the Greek citizens’ trust, as in most cases the public opinion is affected
by (dis)information spread by media or even action movies. The practice of issuing annual reports
on various intelligence subjects is followed by several western Intelligence Services, such as the
39
Koukakis Georgios, “The new National Security Strategy of Japan: Its role in the Indo-Pacific, the US support and
China's expected reaction” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 23 December 2022.
https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/73958/georgios-koykakis/i-nea-stratigiki-ethnikis-asfaleias-tis-iaponias
(18/12/2023).
40
Koukakis Georgios, “The new National Strategic Review of France: The security challenges, the strategic
objectives, and the estimated response of regional and international actors” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic
Edition, 12 December 2022. https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/73942/georgios-koykakis/i-nea-ethniki-stratigiki-
anatheorisi-tis-gallias (18/12/2023).
41
Koukakis Georgios, “The National Security Strategy of the USA: Background, Recent Developments and Future
Considerations Regarding the International Security Environment” [In Greek]. HAPSc Policy Briefs Series, vol. 3, no.
2, December 2022, pp. 122-132, doi: https://doi.org/10.12681/hapscpbs.33792 (18/12/2023).
42
Koukakis Georgios, “ How Moscow sees the world: Russia's new foreign policy doctrine” [In Greek]. Foreign
Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 10 April 2023. https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74100/georgios-koykakis/pos-blepei-
i-mosxa-ton-kosmo?page=show (18/12/2023).
43
Koukakis Georgios, “ London's national security and international policy strategy: How the UK views changes in
the international environment” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 15 May 2023.
https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74157/georgios-koykakis/i-stratigiki-ethnikis-asfaleias-kai-diethnoys-politikis-
toy-lond?page=show (18/12/2023).
44
Koukakis Georgios, “ Germany's first ‘historic’ National Security Strategy: How Berlin sees itself in the 21 st century
and what it means for the world and Greece” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 18 June 2023.
https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74201/georgios-koykakis/i-proti-%C2%ABistoriki%C2%BB-stratigiki-ethnikis-
asfaleias-tis-germanias (18/12/2023).
45
Koukakis Georgios, “The Annual Risk Analysis of FRONTEX for 2023-2024: Lessons and challenges for the EU
and Greece on migration flows and cross-border crime” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 25 September
2023. https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74304/georgios-koykakis/i-etisia-analysi-kindynoy-toy-frontex-gia-to-
2023-2024 (18/12/2023).
46
Koukakis Georgios, “The geopolitical competition of West-East through the official strategic documents of
international and regional actors” [In Greek]. Center for International Strategic Analyses, 20 December 2023.
https://kedisa.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ergasia-no-102-Koukakis.pdf (18/12/2023).
13
Annual Report of the United States Intelligence Community
47
and the Annual Threat Assessment of
the United States Intelligence Community
48
issued by the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence (ODNI), and the Annual Review of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the
UK.
49
The timeframe (September 2022 - August 2023) covered by the 2023 Annual Report, also
indicates that NIS has most likely endorsed the procedures used by the Intelligence Service of the
UK, as the formentioned Annual Review of the NCSC covers the same timeframe. This assumption
is also enhanced by the fact that – according to the Greek newspaper “Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ” – that
the Greek Prime Minister held a meeting with a former Executive of the British MI5 in September
2022,
50
in order to be advised regarding NIS’s reform in the following sectors:
Strengthening the accountability of NIS and the Hellenic Parliament's oversight through
the Special Standing Committee on Institutions and Transparency (SSCIAT).
51
Upgrading the role of the National Security Council (NSC) to make better use of
intelligence.
Strengthening the framework of legal surveillance for politicians.
Strengthen NIS’s internal control, transparency, outreach and training of its personnel.
In October 2022 , the same newspaper published an interview of former Director of MI5
(Lord Jonathan Evans) revealing the identity of the British Executive that acted as an unofficial
47
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “The 2006 Annual Report of the United States Intelligence
Community”. February 2007. https://www.odni.gov/files/documents/Intelligence%20Reports/2006
AnnualReporttoCongress.pdf (18/12/2023).
48
Koukakis Georgios, “The Annual Threat Assessment of the USA for 2023: Providing guidance for US foreign
policy officials against the rivals of the United States” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 14 March
2023. https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74058/georgios-koykakis/i-etisia-ektimisi-apeilis-kata-ton-ipa-gia-to-2023
(18/12/2023).
49
Koukakis Georgios, “The Annual Cyberscecurity Review of the United Kingdom: Lessons learned, current situation
in Greece, and challenges regarding the critical national infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and cyber resilience” [In
Greek]. Policy Journal, 04 December 2023. https://policyjournal.gr/world/%ce%b7-
%ce%b5%cf%84%ce%ae%cf%83%ce%b9%ce%b1-
%ce%b1%ce%bd%ce%b1%cf%83%ce%ba%cf%8c%cf%80%ce%b7%cf%83%ce%b7-
%ce%ba%cf%85%ce%b2%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%bd%ce%bf%ce%b1%cf%83%cf%86%ce%ac%ce%bb%ce%b5%ce%
b9%ce%b1 (18/12/2023).
50
Nedos Vasilis, “Using MI5 as a model for the reform of the new EYP: The Prime Minister’s connections with
former executive of the Security Service (MI5) and the reform plan” [In Greek]. Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ, 12 September
2022. https://www.kathimerini.gr/politics/562036990/me-montelo-mi5-o-schediasmos-tis-neas-eyp/ (18/12/2023).
51
Hellenic Parliament. “Special Standing Committee on Institutions and Transparency (SPECIAL STANDING
COMMITTEES)” [In Greek]. No date. https://www.hellenicparliament.gr/Koinovouleftikes-
Epitropes/CommiteeDetailView?CommitteeId=2b188390-2f24-4d95-b867-912d485fa8cf (23/12/2023).
14
adviser of the Greek Government as far as the reform of NIS is concerned.
52
Some of the most
important intelligence problems in Greece that were stressed by Lord Evans were the following:
The exchange of information, as far as security and intelligence matters are concerned,
between the Ministries of the Hellenic Republic and the Government is limited.
There is no institutional distinction between the Security Service (domestic intelligence)
and the Secret Intelligence Service (foreign intelligence). The Greek model of managing both in a
single Organisation is unusual.
The procedures for the authorization for the conduction of surveillance for national
security reasons are not clear.
The main reasons for the public’s disrespect of NIS lies in its historical background
53
in
addition to the lack of (national) security culture in Greece.
As far as the Director-General duties are concerned, in order for him/her to be able to
determine the way NIS’s strategic vision should be achieved in the light of national priorities, there
must be a National Security Strategy (NSS) issued by the Governmental National Security Council
(KYSEA) of the Hellenic Republic. The NSS prioritizes the Greek national interests and sets the
framework in which NIS (and every other State Agency, Service or Department) will operate.
Afterwards, NIS can issue its own National Intelligence Strategy (NIS) just like the NIS of the
United States issued by the ODNI.
54
In addition to that, the fact that article 18 of the issued Law 5002/2022 determines that the
Director of NIS must be an active senior diplomat or a retired general/flag officer of the Hellenic
Armed Forces/Police/Coast Guard/Fire Service is a positive change, since it ensures that the person
appointed as a Director has a minimum experience in foreign and security policy matters, unlike
some past Directors whose professional background was limited in the public sector. It must also be
stressed that several media reported that the Greek “Watergate” scandal was a result of the actions
52
Nedos Vasilis, “The former director of MI5 talks in ‘K’: Two EYPs with more transparency. The unofficial advisor
of the Government proposes Domestic and External Affairs Service, and communication with citizens” [In Greek]. Η
ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ, 03 October 2022. https://www.kathimerini.gr/opinion/interviews/562071325/o-proin-dieythyntis-tis-
mi5-stin-k-dyo-eyp-me-perissoteri-diafaneia/ (18/12/2023).
53
The Service was related to the 1967-1974 dictatorship.
54
Koukakis Georgios, “The new National Intelligence Strategy of the USA for the next four years: The role of
technology, the need for cooperation we other actors, the emphasis on the personnel, and the new environment of
interstate challenges” [In Greek]. Foreign Affairs The Hellenic Edition, 16 August 2023.
https://www.foreignaffairs.gr/articles/74265/georgios-koykakis/i-nea-stratigiki-pliroforion-ton-ipa-gia-tin-epomeni-
tetraetia (18/12/2023).
15
of NIS’s Director at the time (Panayiotis Kontoleon) whose professional background was mostly in
the private sector.
55
Moreover, according to article 4 of Law 5002/2022, a request for lifting the secrecy of
communications can only be submitted by either NIS or the Hellenic Police (Directorate for
Countering Special Crimes of Violence) to the respective Public Prosecutor, who in turn must
within 24 hours either reject the request or submit it to the Assistant District Attorney of the
Supreme Court or a Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal.
56
The latter must (again) within 24 hours
reject or approve the request, and return the file without maintaining a copy. If the request is for
persons that belong to the political field, the request can only be submitted by the Director of NIS
himself to the President of the Parliament, and if it is (politically) approved by him/her within 24
hours the procedure continues as mentioned previously.
After three years from the termination of the lifting of the secrecy, the person concerned can
be notified for the imposition of the measure, provided that the purpose for which it was imposed is
not jeopardized. Any request for lifting the secrecy of communications must include the following:
Τhe reasons that constitute risk to national security,
Τhe necessity of lifting the secrecy to address the risk,
The means of response or communication for which the lifting is requested,
The subject matter of the lifting, i.e. the external elements of the communication and/or
its content, and finally
The territorial extent of application and the strictly necessary duration of the lifting.
The formentioned procedure seems to be similar with the British model as, according to the
formentioned interview given by the former MI5 Director, the Service submits a request to the
Minister of Interior – who is responsible (through his/her legal advisers) for ensuring the request is
55
Newsroom, “Panayiotis Kontoleon: The commander of the NIS resigned for wrong actions” [In Greek]. CNN
Greece, 05 August 2022. https://www.cnn.gr/politiki/story/323495/paraitithike-kai-o-dioikitis-tis-eyp-meta-ton-grigori-
dimitriadi (20/12/2023), Editorial Team, “The Commander of EYP Panagiotis Kontoleon also resigned” [In Greek].
Capital, 05 August 2022. https://www.capital.gr/epikairotita/3651455/paraitithike-kai-o-dioikitis-tis-eup-panagiotis-
kontoleon/ (202/12/2023), Editorial Team, “Panayiotis Kontoleon: the commander of the NSA resigned” [In Greek].
ΕΘΝΟΣ. 05 August 2022. https://www.ethnos.gr/Politics/article/219079/panagiothskontoleon
paraiththhkeodioikhthsthseyp (20/12/2023).
56
The second Prosecutor is defined by of the Supreme Court for a term of office of one year, that can be extended for
another year.
16
suitable, legal and necessary – before submitting it to the Investigative Powers Tribunal for final
approval, while political sensitive cases require extra approval. Another matter of consideration is
that the British model requires the lifting of the secrecy of communications to be renewed every
three months, while Law 5002/2022 does not specify the duration of the lifting.
The formentioned observation leads to another matter of concern, the fact that Greece – unlike
other States – has not established an Intelligence Community (IC) in order to integrate all
intelligence in support of its national security interests. The United States for example – under the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004
57
- established the ODNI
(Annex A), creating the United States IC that comprises 18 Intelligence Organizations (Annex B
and C).
58
According to the official website of the ODNI:
“The Director of National Intelligence serves as the head of the U.S.
Intelligence Community, overseeing and directing the implementation of the
National Intelligence Program and acting as the principal advisor to the
President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security
Council for intelligence matters related to national security. The President
appoints the DNI with the advice and consent of the Senate”.
59
Moreover, the fact that the Director-General of NIS is assisted by two Deputy Director-
Generals in charge of External Affairs and Domestic Security, in addition to the clarification of the
prerequisites for the selection of its Director by Law 5002/2022 can be assessed as an important
reform that can improve the effectiveness of the Service. Taking into consideration though the
opinion expressed by the former Director of MI5 who clearly states the need for two separate
Services according to worldwide intelligence practice, it must be pointed out that the next reform
that should be made is the establishment of a National Security Service for domestic intelligence
matters and a National Intelligence Service for foreign intelligence.
As far as joint training with foreign Intelligence Agencies in several sectors and the
establishment of an Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence Academy are concerned, it is estimated
that these activities will not only enhance the skills of NIS’s personnel, but also facilitate the
57
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “History”. No date. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-
are/history (18/12/2023).
58
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “Members of the IC”. No date. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/what-
we-do/members-of-the-ic (18/12/2023).
59
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “Who we are”. No date. https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are
(18/12/2023).
17
enhancement of the (national) security culture among the Service, which – according to the
formentioned interview of the former Director of the British Security Service (MI5) in the Greek
newspaper “Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ” – is not as much developed as it should be.
The establishment of a Press and Communication Office, an Intelligence Museum, and an
Internal Audit Unit, in addition to the exploitation of NIS’s archive should also be viewed as a
milestone in the Service’s history, as the outreach of every Intelligence Service to society is
considered to be the foundation of trust-building and realization of the importance of its role from
citizens. The introduction of a strict legal framework for lifting the secrecy of communications for
operational (surveillance) reasons, and the prohibition of surveillance software and devices by Law
5002/2022 is estimated that will also have a positive effect in the NIS-society relationship.
As far as the improvement of NIS’s cyber capabilities and the integration of new technologies
are concerned, it must be stressed that cybersecurity is becoming more important than ever as the
cyber domain in widely used by various hostile actors for the conduction of malicious activities
such as hybrid war, disinformation campaigns, information warfare, etc. Moreover, the integration
of new technologies in considered a necessity for every Intelligence Service, as it contributes
greatly to countering new and emerging threats. To this end, the establishment of KETYAK will
most likely facilitate the integration as the respective research is closely related to the development
of new technologies.
Special attention must also be given to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it can be applied to
several fields enhancing the capabilities of an actor, increasing the effectiveness of its early warning
system and filling in possible gaps by identifying patterns. As far as the influence that AI is going to
have in the formentioned systemic rivalry between the “West” and the “East”, the Russian President
Vladimir Putin stated in 2017 that:
“Artificial intelligence is the future not only of Russia but of all of
mankind […] There are huge opportunities, but also threats that are
difficult to foresee today. […] Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere
will become the ruler of the world […]”.
60
NIS’s focus on CBRN threats, climate crisis, insider threats, critical infrastructure and
investment activities, in order to be better prepared for future challenges needs to be viewed as a
60
Radina Gigova, “Who Vladimir Putin thinks will rule the world”. CNN World, 02 September 2017.
https://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/01/world/putin-artificial-intelligence-will-rule-world/index.html (18/12/2023).
18
positive development, because the role of every Intelligence Service incudes – besides the
application of countermeasures against existing threats – the application of preventive measures and
the establishment of an efficient early warning system that can provide the necessary information to
decision makers in order to manage an emerging (national) security situation.
Finally, the fact that NIS –according to article 21 of the Law 4622/2019– was put under the
direct control of the Greek Prime Minister is considered to be a practice used by most modern
States (such as the formentioned ODNI of the USA) as Intelligence Services are strategic assets that
must be controlled by the highest possible level of a State’s hierarchy. As far as the definition of
national security reasons provided by Law 5002/2022 is concerned, it must be stressed that it
includes only a few of the basic components of national security, as the respective article 3 defines
that:
“National security reasons are the reasons that are relevant to the
protection of the basic functions of the State and the fundamental interests
of the Greek citizens, such as, in particular, reasons related to national
defense, foreign policy, energy security and cyber security”.
61
To be more precise, national security is comprised of national defense, economic security,
energy security, public health, food security, cyber security, climate security, environmental
security, cultural security, information security, protection of national critical infrastructure, social
cohesion, public order, etc.
62
Moreover, neither the basic functions of the State nor the fundamental
interests of the Greek citizens are clarified in the document, which means that the article can be
‘interpreted’ at will in order to justify the use of lifting the secrecy of communications or apply
other methods that could violate basic human rights. It must also be reminded that the Hellenic
Republic hasn’t issued a National Security Strategy, the predominant Grand Strategy official
document of each modern State that defines (and prioritizes) the fundamental interests of the State
and/or the Greek citizens.
7. Future Considerations
Keeping in mind the facts provided so far, the paper proceeds to the presentation of some
future considerations regarding several aspects of the Service’s organizational structure and
61
Newspaper of the Government of the Hellenic Republic, “Law 4622 (Paper 133A)” [Official Document (In Greek)],
07 August 2019. https://www.et.gr/api/Download_Small/?fek_pdf=20190100133 (17/12/2023).
62
Pikramenos Kostas & Koukakis Georgios, National Security: Myths and Reality [In Greek]. Infognomon, Athens,
2023. p. 32.
19
operational functioning. First of all, the Hellenic Republic needs to establish an Intelligence
Community (IC), in order to establish an integrated early warning system that is going to identify
existing and emerging threats/risks on time. This will allow decision makers to apply relevant
preventive measures to deter them in a holistic way, or – in case these measures fail – apply
effective counter-measures to eliminate the threats/risks or minimize their impact on national
security.
Second of all, NIS must be divided into two separate Services; a National Security Service
having as its field of actions domestic intelligence and a National Intelligence Service for foreign
intelligence. In order for these two Services to effectively conduct their mission, the formentioned
division should be made when the NIS’s Director is positive that the personnel assigned in each
Service – currently under the control of one of the two Deputy DGs – has developed the necessary
skills and is familiar with all relevant procedures but no later than five years from now, setting 2028
as a time limit. Having two independent Services will also result in different budgets, which means
that the Hellenic Government can allocate money in each budget according to its priorities.
Another factor that should be considered is defining NIS’s Director as a regular member of
KYSEA – the fundamental institutional national security body of the Hellenic Republic that was
established by Law 4622/2019 – since s/he is the advisor of the Prime Minister on intelligence
matters. Moreover, having the Director of NIS as a regular member of the NSC is a practice used by
most modern States. Unfortunately, although the Director of the Service is usually invited to most
of the KYSEA meetings, the current legal framework doesn’t include him in the composition of the
Council,
63
which comprises the following regular members:
Prime Minister (President of KYSEA).
Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Minister for National Defense.
Minister for Interior.
Minister for Migration and Asylum.
Minister for Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.
63
Pikramenos Kostas & Koukakis Georgios, National Security: Myths and Reality [In Greek]. Infognomon, Athens,
2023. pp. 98-99.
20
Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (HNDGS).
The fact that KYSEA has not published a National Security Strategy yet – despite the
statement that was made by the Greek National Security Adviser (NSA) Thanos Dokos in 2021 that
the strategy was in the preparation stage,
64
and that – according to Greek media – the strategy was
presented by the NSA to KYSEA during its meeting on October 12th, 2022
65
is another major
consideration that needs to be taken seriously. The particular official Grand Strategy document is
fundamental for ensuring the State’s national security by providing the framework and basic
guidelines to the decision makers in order to protect the Greek national interests, and the basis for
other departments, agencies, and services (such as NIS) for issuing their own strategies.
Nevertheless, NIS should issue a National Intelligence Strategy (NIS) – or at least an interim
one until the Greek NSS is published – similar to the NIS of the United States, that will include the
Director’s vision, NIS’s mission, fundamental principles, and the set goals, in addition to the
necessary means and ways of achieving them, over a maximum period of five years. NIS should
also begin issuing an Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) in order to provide a reliable evaluation of
threats/risks as far as the Greek national security is concerned, so that all State policies can be
adjusted according to the level of threat and relevant (counter) measures can be applied.
As far as cybersecurity is concerned, it must be stressed that although NIS is the National
Authority against Cyber Attacks, Greece’s National Cybersecurity Strategy
66
(NCS) is issued by the
Ministry of Digital Governance (MoDG) which has been defined as the National Cyber Security
Authority (NCSA) of the Hellenic Republic. Although article 20 of Law 5002/2022 provides for the
establishment of a Committee for the Coordination of Cybersecurity Matters (CCCM), the existence
of two separate institutions (in different locations) with similar competences is assessed that does
not facilitate the work of the Committee. To this end, the establishment of a National Cyber
Security Centre that will act as a single point of contact for all cybersecurity matters, assume the
responsibility of issuing the NCS and integrate NIS’s National CERT –and perhaps the respective
64
Dokos Thanos, “Thanos Dokos: Greek national security: An assessment and challenges”. Ekathimerini, 25 January
2021. https://www.ekathimerini.com/opinion/261588/thanos-dokos-greek-national-security-an-assessment-and-
challenges/ (19/12/2023).
65
Newsroom. “KYSEA discusses Turkey, Evros border wall, arms procurement”. Ekathimerini, 12 October 2022.
https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1195458/kysea-discusses-turkey-evros-border-wall-arms-procurement/
(19/12/2023).
66
Ministry of Digital Governance. “National Cybersecurity Strategy 2020-2025”. December 2020.
https://mindigital.gr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/E%CE%9D-NATIONAL-CYBER-SECURITY-STRATEGY-
2020_2025.pdf (20/12/2023).
21
department of the MoDG – will increase the coordination between State Services and help avoid
conflicts of jurisdiction.
NIS’s oversight through the Special Standing Committee on Institutions and Transparency of
the Hellenic Parliament's in order to strengthening its accountability is assessed as a non-effective
measure, since the members of the Committee usually don’t the necessary experience in intelligence
and security matters. Establishing a Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security on the
basis of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament of the United Kingdom or the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) of the United States,
67
seems to be the most
suitable solution, as it will also ensure the democratic function of the Service and the safeguarding
of the human rights of Greek citizens, in order to prevent the securitization of several issues.
68
8. Concluding Remarks
Due to the “secret nature” of the Intelligence and Security Services, great attention must be
given to proper information of the public about the intelligence and security activities in order to
deter hostile actions directed against the State and/or its citizens, and prevent the latter from
becoming victims of misinformation (fake news) and/or disinformation (propaganda), as according
to the former Director of the British Security Service “[…] if you don't tell your own story, then
someone else will tell it for you”.
69
Thus, the development of the necessary trust of the citizens in
the Intelligence Community will be enabled, as they will understand that the effective execution of
its mission ensures the common well being of the public.
To conclude, in order for the Intelligence and Security Services to effectively execute their
mission, they need to adjust their structure, means, and methods to their security environment
conditions, taking advantage of new technologies and best practices used in other States. The
effective functioning of these Services is vital for a State’s national security, as the early warning
and intelligence assessments provided by them facilitate not only the application of preventive
measures against external and domestic threats/risks, but also their tackling in case the
formentioned measures prove to be inefficient. It must be stressed though, that:
67
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, “History and Jurisdiction”. No date.
https://intelligence.house.gov/about/history-and-jurisdiction.htm (19/12/2023).
68
According to Clara Eroukhmanoff “An issue becomes securitised when an audience collectively agrees on the nature
of the threat and supports taking extraordinary measures”. For further information visit: Eroukhmanoff Clara,
“Securitisation Theory: An Introduction”. E-International Relations, 14 January 2018. https://www.e-
ir.info/2018/01/14/securitisation-theory-an-introduction/ (20/12/2023).
69
Nedos Vasilis, “The former director of MI5 talks in ‘K’: Two EYPs with more transparency. The unofficial advisor
of the Government proposes Domestic and External Affairs Service, and communication with citizens” [In Greek]. Ibid.
22
“Intelligence does not claim infallibility for its prophecies.
Intelligence merely holds that the answer which it gives is the most deeply
and objectively based and carefully considered estimate”.
70
70
The phrase belongs to Sherman Kent, Founder of the Office of National Estimates. Βλ. Office of the Director of
National Intelligence. “Global Trends 20240: A more contested world (Introduction)”. March 2021.
https://www.dni.gov/index.php/gt2040-home/introduction (23/12/2023).
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27
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28
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31
C. The Seals of the Elements of the US Intelligence Community
Source: www.odni.gov