The Moscow Rules: From Cold War to Digital Battlefield

A Common Sense Guide To 5th Generation Warfare

The Moscow Rules: A History Lesson

In the early years of the Cold War, it was common knowledge among CIA officers that Moscow was the most dangerous and challenging destination in the world... especially for clandestine operations and those who engaged in them. Within this harsh environment, CIA operatives developed a set rules of operation. These rules were designed to protect the agents and their sources in a cutthroat struggle with the KGB. They were unwritten and taught through word of mouth. But each agent knew them intimately by the time their feet touched Russian soil. The rules literally could make a difference in whether an agent lived or died, whether they would come home disgraced, or whether they would arise heroes. They became known as the ‘Moscow Rules’.

Tony Mendez, an ex-CIA agent turned writer, wrote “Although no one had written them down, they were the precepts we all understood... By the time [we] got to Moscow, everyone knew [them]. They were dead simple and full of common sense."

Since the Moscow Rules were never written, they varied depending on the source and from agent to agent. On the wall of the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., you can find a list of the reconstructed ‘Moscow Rules’. They are given as follows:

1. Assume nothing.

2. Never go against your gut.

3. Everyone is potentially under opposition control.

4. Do not look back; you are never completely alone.

5. Go with the flow, blend in.

6. Vary your pattern and stay within your cover.

7. Lull them into a sense of complacency.

8. Do not harass the opposition.

9. Pick the time and place for action.

10. Keep your options open.

When I originally learned of them, this is the list I found.

1. Assume nothing.

2. Murphy is right.

3. Don't look back; you are never completely alone.

4. Everyone is potentially under opposition control.

5. Go with the flow, blend in.

6. Vary your pattern and stay within your cover.

7. Any operation can be aborted. If it feels wrong, it is wrong.

8. Maintain a natural pace.

9. Lull them into a sense of complacency.

10. Build in opportunity, but use it sparingly.

11. Don't harass the opposition.

12. There is no limit to a human being's ability to rationalize the truth.

13. Pick the time and place for action.

14. Keep your options open.

15. Technology will always let you down.

16. Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is an enemy action.

17. Don't attract attention, even by being too careful.

An agent lived or they died by these rules. It was just that simple.

Other sources provide different versions of the CIA’s ‘Moscow Rules’. What all of them have in common, however, is the sense of ever present danger that made them necessary in the first place.

When the Russians built a new U.S. embassy in Moscow in the late 1970s, the KGB stuffed it with bugs at the bricklaying stage.

“The only way to make that building secure was to chop off the top three floors or so of the building and throw it away and rebuild them using U.S. labor and U.S. material that was [brought] in from the U.S.,” said Ray Parrack, former Senior technical intelligence officer (retired) at the CIA, commenting for the Netflix documentary ‘Spycraft’.

Russia Beyond: Why Was It So Difficult For The CIA To Spy In Moscow During The Cold War?

Moscow Rules for the Digital Battlefield

Fifth generational warfare (5GW) is war being wagged through perception and information. It is unconventional in terms that the battle doesn't take place at an actual location. It is all around us constantly. Waged on our phones, through our computers, on our TVs, in our movies, and through every advertisement we see in the world around us. We see it every minute of every day whether we are cognizant of it or not.

The front lines are often described as being active on social media. Digital soldiers push out information in order to combat opposing narratives.

While this isn't Moscow, fighting on this digital battlefield, there are real world consequences. The dangers are no less real.

For those fighters on the front lines, I propose the following common sense guidelines with explanations of how to apply them. As stated below, take the meat. Leave the bone.

1. Sharing is not endorsing.
   We share content from the MSM. It isn't an endorsement. Sharing your fellow digital soldiers posts and hard work are not endorsements either. It is only helping them reach a larger audience and an appreciation of their work.

2. Follow many. Trust none.
   Assume everyone is controlled opposition. You have no idea who is behind that user name. It could be your next door neighbor or it could be a fed.

3. Be friendly but not friends.
   It never hurts to be nice and cordial to others. But don't get too cozy with people.

4. If you do have friends, keep your circle small.
   I admittedly work with a small group of people. These are those who I deem are trustworthy and loyal. My circle is very small.

5. Be leery of fast friends.
   If someone wants to tell you their life story or wants to hear yours, run away.

6. Anyone at any time can become compromised.
   You never know what is going on in people's lives. These events can cause fallout in the digital world. Be careful.

7. Anyone can be manipulated given the right pressure.
   Pressure can come in the form of money, blackmailing, being honeypotted, or from a federal agency. This can happen at any time.

8. Everything is an op. It is all used to get a reaction.
   Don't give them what they want. Don't let them win this way.

9. When someone expects you to react a certain way, react unexpectedly.
   Be spontaneous. Don't let them know your patterns or what gets under your skin.

10. Paranoia is like a seatbelt. If you wait until something happens to use it, it is too late.
    In other words, keeping a certain level of paranoia in the back of your mind is healthy.

11. Waiting is a strategy.
    If you don't know what to do, just wait.

12. Someone is always watching.
    It is social media. Even private communications should be considered compromised.

13. Always be critical of your leaders.
    Watch them. Make sure they are worthy of being followed by you.

14. What you can't criticize does control you.
    If you are not allowed to give criticism or even constructive criticism regarding a certain topic or person, you have given it too much control and it now controls you.

15. The free market is good but money corrupts.
    I have no issue with the free market. We should have shirts, hats, fan gear, etc. that represent who we are and our movement. However, too much money will always corrupt. Some people don't care about the movement or our country. All they see are those dollar signs.

16. Don't jump on the bandwagon.
    I don't care what bandwagon it is. Later on, you might find out that you don't want your name associated with it. Just wait. Scrutinize. Then decided if you want to join or not.

17. Verify then trust.
    Always verify information before you trust it.

18. Think for yourself. A minority opinion is usually correct.
    Don't let friends or leaders within this movement make the decisions for you. It is called We The People for a reason. You are a people. Individuality and individual thinking is important.

19. Trust your gut but follow the facts.

    Your gut is your compass. Listen to it. But don't let it get in the way of the truth.

20. Questions are necessary. Question everything.
    The only dumb question is the one you were too afraid to ask. How else are we supposed to learn if we don't questioning everything. This is especially true if you are certain something is true.

21. Take the meat. Leave the bone.
    If you read something you don't fully agree with, take what you find useful and leave the rest behind. Unless it directly hurts the movement, it is not worth arguing over.

22. Nothing is personal.
    Don't take things personally. These people don't know you.

23. Personal information will always be used against you.
    Don't reveal too much about yourself. Keep your personal information to yourself. It could be used against you.

24. You can and will be silenced at any moment.
    Remember the Great Twitter Purge. How many times have you been suspended? Blocked? Make sure your have backchannels that are independent from each other.

25. Watch your words. What you say will be used against you by an opposing force.
    Mind your words. Someone will always take a screenshot or report you.

26. Sometimes silence is golden.
    Sometimes saying nothing is best.

27. Never trust social media.
    It isn't secret. It isn't safe. It can be taken away at any moment.

28. Always backup your data.
    This one is twofold. Keep your data, digs, and dives somewhere else besides social media. The person with the most notes wins. Always back up your data with sauce (sources). Be ready to show your receipts.

29. Don't engage without an exit strategy.
    Always have backup communications. Always backup your data. Always be ready to create a new account as need be. Every engagement you are involved in (podcast, substack, social media posts, etc) requires a different exit strategy.

30. Information can be a weapon. Use it wisely.
    Make your statement mean something. Give it punch and fire. Make them hurt. Your words , memes, and videos have power.

31. Keep an ace up your sleeve.
    Always hold something back for that knockout punch. Don't let them see it coming.

32. Remember: Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy opposition.
    If you notice a pattern, it means there is one. Patterns indicate information warfare tactics. Respond carefully.

33. Good friends are wonderful. True friends are priceless.
    Take care of your friendships. Don't do anything to compromise them.

Further Reading on Fifth Generation Warfare

Author's Note: There are really so many very good articles out there on 5GW (Fifth Generation Warfare). If you haven't read on the topic, do some searching. You need to be familiar with your battlefield if you are to be effective soldier and fighter in this war. I have included a few. Other terms you may include in your research is 'next generation warfare' or 'new generation warfare'.

An Introduction To Fifth Generation Warfare

Fifth Generation Warfare - How We Have Already Entered An Ambiguous WWIII

The Corbett Report Substack: Your Guide to Fifth-Generation Warfare

Your Guide to Fifth-Generation Warfare

Further Reading on the Moscow Rules

Author's Note: Since there is so little information out there regarding this part of history, I may have gone overboard with the links. Read what interests you. It is mainly placed here for historical reference. There are some interesting links here though.

Scripps Howard News Service: Moscow Rules Apply To Home Front (2005)
This is a humorous take on the Moscow Rules as they apply to parenting.

A Guidebook For Beginning Sweepers by Glenn Whidden
This list 17 rules for "insuring privacy in an organization" and "constant awareness of threats." The rules are broken up into two categories counter espionage investigations and countermeasures inspections. Unfortunately, A Guidebook For Beginning Sweepers is no longer in print. The only place I know to receive a copy of it is through digital download and a paywall through Mr. Whidden's estate. I have included the link if you are further interested in researching this for yourself. (See the next link.)

Rules For Insuring Privacy In An Organization: Constant Awareness Of Threats by Q
However, the list of Mr. Whidden's version of the Moscow Rules along with a translation of how they worked in the field can be found on this website. (Be sure to use a VPN). The "Written by: Q" bit is a James Bond reference and nothing more.

Moscow Rules on the Internet Archive (2016)
This version varies in that it lists 40 different rules.

NPR: 'Moscow Rules': How The CIA Operated Under The Watchful Eye Of The KGB (2019)
This article outlines the story of Marti Peterson, an agent assigned to the US Embassy in Moscow.

Foreign Policy: The Moscow Rules Still Rule (2103)
This article outlines the tale of an agent in Moscow and the dangers and deadly consequences of being an intelligence officer in Moscow.

Moscow Rules: The Original Protocol For Operating In The Presence Of Adversaries Can Be Applied To Cyber Defense
This is an article which outlines a separate version of the Moscow Rules and applies it to cyber defense. They are the “Moscow Rules for Cyber Operations."