A Spy's Guide to Studying People: Tradecraft Lessons from the Case of Rudolf Abel

In this week’s tradecraft breakdown, we examine studying people through the lens of the Rudolf Abel espionage case, a Cold War operation that highlighted the art and science of profiling, observing, and understanding human behavior for intelligence purposes. While modern technology such as AI-powered facial recognition and social media analysis has transformed the craft, the principles of studying people remain foundational for today’s intelligence professionals.