Nathan wrote:

The SIS advertised for positions the other day, for field officers.

Hmm... I'd advise against applying... My ex-husband applied to work for GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters -- sort of the Civil Service end of M15...). After they offered him a job (nature unspecified), the positive vetting process took more than a year, in which they interviewed about 20 of our friends, including fairly intrusive questions about drug taking, sexual interests/positions/possible homosexuality, detailed finances, trips to Eastern bloc countries &c&c. They also asked for a complete listing of *my* life-time sexual partners, with addresses. They also appeared to follow some of our friends around. Frankly, I'd have been staggered if our phone hadn't been tapped....

And no, I am not joking or exaggerating. If only.

the UK's government allowing MI5 to snoop on emails

I suspect the e-mail thing has been in operation for some time: several people who work for said organisation also use public-key-encrypted private e-mail and have done for years and years.

Tavia