What is the primary purpose of counterintelligence activities?

The primary purpose of counterintelligence activities is to protect against espionage. This involves measures taken to identify and prevent any unauthorized access or exploitation of classified information by adversaries. Counterintelligence aims to safeguard national security by thwarting efforts by foreign intelligence entities or organizations to gather sensitive information that could be used to undermine a state's interests. This encompasses a wide range of actions, including surveillance of potential threats, insider threat detection, and the implementation of security measures to protect sensitive data and personnel.

While promoting open information sharing, engaging in foreign intelligence collection, and facilitating international cooperation are important aspects of intelligence operations, they do not address the main goal of counterintelligence, which is specifically focused on defense against espionage and protecting sensitive information from infiltration or exploitation. Counterintelligence creates a secure environment to ensure that critical information remains protected from those who would do harm.