If you’ve been thinking about a career within the intelligence service then you’ve probably wondered what you need to be successful. Thankfully, a former MI5 legal director has provided all the answers, specifically ‘two qualities’ you need to have for the career. David Bickford was a legal director for both MI5 and MI6, ultimately working on […]
“He spent much of his career working in absolute secrecy, even as he fought to bring greater openness to the intelligence services. Now, whether on how he made his wife an unwitting cold war intelligence asset or he went about inviting prospective spies to be interviewed, David Bickford is illuminating at least some of the […]
Interview of Thursday, 20 July 2023 between David Bickford, Former UK Under Secretary of State & MI5 & MI6 Legal Director, on his novel “Katya”, and AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer. They discuss the plot, the use of Katya – an urchin living on the streets of Russia – and […]
In this conversation, David Bickford shares his fascinating journey from a unique childhood to a distinguished career in the intelligence services, specifically as a legal director for MI5 and MI6. He discusses the complexities of balancing national security with legality, the current threats posed by Russia and China, and the evolving landscape of intelligence work. […]
In this episode of the Dov Baron Show, host Dov Baron delves into the fascinating world of espionage, intelligence, and global politics with guest David Bickford, the former director of Britain’s MI5 and MI6. Bickford shares his unique journey from a childhood during WWII and schooling in the UK while his parents relocated across the […]
“Bickford also remarks on female agents’ tendencies to be good at bringing together skeins of information and finding patterns, and dealing sensibly with the budget. When recruiting staff, Bickford used to look for somequirk that mightgive them an edge. ‘I hired one woman because she had spent six months working on a Chinese shrimp boat. […]