One element of the military-industrial complex that is often overlooked is the role of intelligence agencies. Since 2000, nine out of ten spy chiefs have taken up lucrative posts – paid well over £2m – in cyber security firms or oil and gas companies after retiring, according to recent reports.
That revolving door may explain the willingness of intelligence agencies to work very closely with some of the world’s largest arms companies. This week, Declassified UK revealed that Britain’s largest intelligence agency GCHQ has been working with several defence companies – in scores of schools.
Their report describes an extensive programme run by GCHQ’s Cyber Schools Hub (CSH) programme known as CyberFirst which has grown rapidly to involve some 22,000 children in primary and secondary schools, mostly within reach of GCHQ’s headquarters in Cheltenham. According to its website:
