double agent

This term carries a heavy connotation of betrayal and deception, specifically within the high-stakes environment of espionage and national security. It describes a specific role where the individual's true loyalty is hidden from one or both of the parties they appear to serve, creating a layer of psychological tension and risk.

In a professional intelligence context, a double agent is distinct from a mole. While a mole is an agent who infiltrates an organization to gather information, a double agent is someone who has already been recruited by one side and is then recruited by the opposing side, or who pretends to have been recruited by the opponent to feed them misinformation.