The Pass

When spies need to pass information to other spies, informants, or even their handlers, they need to do so in a way that doesn't attract attention. To do so, they may hide their messages in a common object, like a pen, that they could hand to someone in a restaurant. Or they may sit down next to their contact on a park bench and discreetly hand it off when they stand up. A Pass is any kind of 'hand off' where both the spy and their contact is in the same place at the same time.

If you need to pass information without getting caught, think about you could do it without anyone thinking its out of the ordinary!

Dead Drops

A Dead Drop is another way for spies to get information to someone. Different from a Pass, a Dead Drop is where one person will leave information - often in plain site - for someone else to pick up at a later time. So the spy and their contact will not be in the same place at the same time.

A good drop is one where information can be hidden in plain site: for example, making a mark on a telephone pole, hiding a message in a soda can and leaving it on the ground next to a trash can, or leaving it message in a book in the library where someone else can pick it up. Drops can also be used when spies don't know who they are leaving or picking up information from.

If you are using a Dead Drop to pass off secret information, be sure you do it in a place where no one will accidently find it. And if you're picking up a dead drop, watch your back! You could be being watched!