Director of the Information and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova, guest on the DECODIFICAT podcast
The Director of the Information and Security Service, Alexandru Musteață, was the first guest on the DECODIFICAT podcast. Several current topics were discussed during the podcast. Here is a brief overview of the topics and statements made by the guest.
What is the role of the SIS and what does this institution do? As the only institution of its kind in the country, the SIS focuses on two issues. Firstly, it collects data both inside and outside the country in order to inform other institutions depending on their role. Secondly, it has the role of combating such activities by other foreign services on our territory, i.e., what we call counterintelligence, or what is more commonly known as counterespionage.
Who does this institution protect? The service protects the statehood and independence of the Republic of Moldova. We protect the existence of the state, the independence of the state, and sovereignty, and we extend this protection to every citizen. Our goal is for citizens to live in a safe environment where they can develop, the country’s economy can grow, and society can lead a peaceful and calm life knowing that it is safe.
About institutional transparency: Transparency is a complicated issue for all intelligence services. Our work is carried out in a secretive environment. Approximately 10% of our work can be communicated to the public, which is why we have initiated a much broader dialogue with the press and hold regular meetings with civil society and academia. We try to communicate as much as possible about this 10% so that people understand that the SIS works in the interests of citizens and the Republic of Moldova, and not in other areas.
Which institutions are most frequently informed by the SIS? There are three main beneficiaries: the President, the Prime Minister, and the Speaker of Parliament. Then there is the chair of the relevant parliamentary committee, the chair of the Supreme Security Council, and then, depending on the subject, it may be the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, and other relevant ministries.
His vision as director of the SIS: First of all, the institution needs reform, a complex reform, both at the administrative and operational levels, as we say, meaning the way in which information gathering is carried out, how operations are planned, etc. The vision is very simple: the Service must become efficient, responding promptly to risks to Moldova’s security, i.e., identifying them in advance, informing decision-makers, and, when necessary, taking action to prevent certain risks from materializing and thereby preventing serious damage to the Republic of Moldova.
The war in Ukraine may be a catalyst for change in the Intelligence and Security Service: The war in Ukraine is already a catalyst, as I have observed from my interactions with decision-makers and other state institutions. It has awakened society somewhat and brought the subject of war onto our agenda. This has led to a rethinking, an awakening if you will, of everyone in society and greater attention to the security sector, both the Information and Security Service, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. People understood that these institutions need to be strengthened, that they need a budget and the necessary skills to do their job. When danger is at the door, we must be prepared. Unfortunately, we are a few decades behind for various reasons.
About the package of laws referring to the SIS registered in Parliament: The third draft is a completely new bill, which did not exist before in the Republic of Moldova, it is the law on counter-information and foreign intelligence activities, and I believe this is one of the most important laws. This law conceptually changes the vision and environment of the SIS’s activities. Because, if we take the current legislative framework, the SIS operates as a law enforcement agency, based on the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Law on Special Investigation Measures, which are only carried out in criminal cases, so there is a criminal aspect to all of its actions. This means that a crime is being investigated, either one that has already happened or one that is in the process of happening, while counterintelligence or foreign intelligence tends to gather data preventively, before actions that could be classified as criminal are carried out. The SIS is not a law enforcement agency; it is a counterintelligence and intelligence institution, which must work a little differently from what everyone knows as criminal activity, criminal prosecution, and investigation of crimes, and this law establishes the legal framework that gives the SIS the powers and competences necessary under the law to carry out counterintelligence activities and not criminal investigation activities.
About SIS officers: Human resources are our main resource, no matter how much we technologize SIS activities, the best software and modern technologies, ultimately human resources are the basic resource, because it is the officer who collects the data, carries out special missions, analyzes, and ultimately the human side is quite important. That is why, even in the reform process, one of the areas we are looking at is the human resources of the SIS. Because we want the best, and when I say the best in every respect, in terms of intelligence, theoretical training, education both at home and abroad, knowledge of several languages, we are looking for people from all fields.
Partnerships with other intelligence services: We have a fairly good partnership with several services, primarily with our neighbors, Romania and Ukraine. This is especially true now with Ukraine, because in the context of war, it is very important to exchange information on various topics with our neighbors. The same is true with Romania, with whom we have a long-standing partnership that has grown stronger over time. Secondly, as a candidate country for EU membership, we have set ourselves the goal of intensifying our cooperation with most of the EU member states’ special services, both individually and collectively. There is INCENT, which is a special unit for the exchange of classified data between services, in addition to the EU External Action Service (EEAS), with which we also cooperate, and we have established a method of exchanging data with them.
About major risks and threats to national security and the role of the SIS in countering them: After February 24, the focus and priorities changed. First, the emphasis was on subversive activity, which could be, at that time, immediately after February 24 and the first month or so, the emphasis was on conventional dangers.
Later, when it became clear that the front line remained on the Kherson line or, on the eastern side, and even retreated, we saw the latest movements in the Kherson region, and the focus shifted to unconventional threats: energy security, economic and financial security, disinformation, etc.
About the cyber security of the Republic of Moldova: In addition to the SIS, we also have STISC, which has the role of ensuring the protection of government information infrastructure. The SIS has the role of collecting information, of trying to anticipate certain actions. Another aspect is hardware, equipment, technology, and here we need to invest quite a lot because all state institutions need to move up a notch. The third aspect is software, meaning we need to invest in software, and all these investments are costly, very costly, especially hardware and software infrastructure, which is quite expensive.
About Big Data projects: We have a lot of catching up to do, again for the same reasons, because for many years there has been no investment in these areas. Those Big Data projects, artificial intelligence, each of them can be a vulnerability for us, but also an opportunity. Intelligence services use Big Data, have invested and created infrastructure, have massive amounts of data, and use them in their work to identify and prevent certain threats. The Republic of Moldova has yet to invest in such projects, and we as a Service are also going to invest heavily in developing our capacity.