Which type of operations involves secretive actions to manipulate or distort information?

Covert operations are designed to carry out secretive actions that often involve manipulation or distortion of information. These operations are characterized by their clandestine nature, allowing the parties involved to operate without revealing their intentions or the source of the actions. The objective of covert operations may include influencing public perception, undermining adversary capabilities, or gathering intelligence in a way that does not disclose the identity of the operatives or their sponsors.

In contrast to covert operations, overt operations are conducted openly and with transparency. Intelligence collection tradecraft focuses on the methods used to gather intelligence, which may or may not involve manipulation of information but do not necessarily entail secretive actions. Spear-phishing, while it involves manipulation of information and is often secretive in nature, is a specific technique used primarily in cyber operations targeting individuals to gain unauthorized access. The broad and often strategic manipulation fundamental to covert operations makes them the correct answer in this context.