The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation helps to ensure calm and order within the Russian state. This is a rather complicated, and therefore very prestigious structure, which is not so easy to get into. In our material, we will understand what the work of the FSB is, and also find out whether it is worth getting into the security service as an employee.
What is the FSB?
The FSB is an executive authority of the federal level, which implements the solution of tasks to ensure security in the Russian Federation within its powers. This special service is vested with the right to conduct inquiries and preliminary investigations. Among other functions, there is also intelligence and operational-search activity.
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation provides for law enforcement, military and federal civil service. The structure itself belongs to the state paramilitary structures. The system is directly managed by the head of state, that is, the president of Russia.
Before talking about the features of work in the FSB, reviews of employees and other interesting points, a brief description of the structure itself should be given. Next, the main professional areas that are in the Security Service will be analyzed.
Counterintelligence
According to FZ-40 from 1995 and some professional reviews, work in the FSB is carried out in six main areas. The first is counterintelligence. This is the name of the activities of the bodies of the FSB of the Russian Federation within their own powers to detect, prevent and suppress intelligence and other illegal activities of special services and authorities of foreign states. The same applies to individuals who have as their goal damage the country's security.
The Counterintelligence Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation includes the Counterintelligence Department. It has in its composition a special unit that deals exclusively with rivalry with the American CIA. The presence of such a unit became known after an investigation conducted by one of the CIA agents.
Crime control
What is the work of the FSB apart from counterintelligence? Here, the second important direction should be highlighted. This is the suppression and elimination of crime and terrorist manifestations. The bodies of the Russian FSB, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, implement operational-search measures in order to capture, prevent and eliminate espionage, terrorist activities, organized crime, corruption and other manifestations.
FSB officers suppress illegal arms and drug trafficking, fight corruption, smuggling, conduct inquiries and preliminary investigations, identify and eliminate illegal armed groups, work with criminal groups, public associations and other authorities whose purpose is to forcibly change the constitutional system of the Russian Federation. Employees really have a lot of responsibilities. This is where the corresponding reviews about working in the FSB come from: often employees complain about too difficult working conditions, constant dangers and threats to life. Moreover, the danger to representatives of the Security Service can be both real and potential.
Intelligence and border activities
Two other quite popular areas are related to work to eliminate threats from outside. So, FSB officers are engaged in intelligence, which extract, transmit and process classified information that is or may be associated with organized crime and terrorist groups. All intelligence activities outside of Russia are carried out by the foreign intelligence agency - the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service in accordance with the Federal Law "On Foreign Intelligence".
The second direction is border work. The directions here are as follows:
- Protection and protection of economic and other legal interests of the Russian Federation within the border territory. Protection of marine and other biological resources.
- Protection of the state border of Russia in order to prevent unlawful changes in the passage of state. borders. Observance by individuals and legal entities of the border regime in the Russian Federation.
The contract service at the FSB border service is executed on an urgent basis. As a rule, the term of the agreement is about five years. All this time, a citizen has been working for the good of his homeland, guarding and defending its borders.
However, the protection of material objects is not limited. Representatives of the Federal Security Service are also required to provide information security. This will be described in more detail below.
Information Security
Ensuring control and security in the information space is another major task in the bodies of the Federal Security Service of Russia. It is implemented within the powers of employees. Here are the areas that should be highlighted here:
- Licensing and certification of certain types of activities that provide for access to Russian state secrets.
- Providing cryptographic and engineering methods for the security of telecommunication and information systems. The use and modernization of encryption and classification systems of other types of special communications in Russia and its institutions, which are also located outside the country.
- In the formation and maintenance of state and scientific policies in the field of ensuring the security of the information type, including the use of engineering and cryptographic means.
It should also be told about the staff of the state structure. Work in the FSB of Moscow (in the central administration) is carried out on the basis of staffing, which consists mainly of civilians and military personnel. Moreover, the military are staffed mainly by their officers.
What does the FSB consist of?
What do you need to work in the FSB? To begin with, it would be nice to understand the structure of the entire system. The 1995 Federal Law spells out in sufficient detail which particular authorities are included in the federal security system. Here's what you need to highlight here:
- NAC - the apparatus of the national committee of the anti-terrorist type.
- SKR - counterintelligence service. By the way, the TFR itself includes several more authorities. These are the Department of Military Counterintelligence, the Department of Counterintelligence Operations, the Office for Information Support of Investigative and Operational Activities, as well as the body for coordination and analysis of counterintelligence activities.
- The next important body in the FSB system is the CIB, the Information Security Center. Already from the name you can understand what exactly this authority is responsible for.
The list above does not end there. The FSB system is simply huge, and therefore it accommodates many different departments and divisions.
FSB departments
The service for the protection of the constitutional system has as its focus the fight against terrorism. However, this same combination is the second name of this body. This includes a number of important authorities. This is a department for countering terrorism and extremism of a political nature. There is also a department for combating international terrorist manifestations, as well as an operational-search and organizational-operational management. Finally, the service includes the famous FSB special forces center. This includes such departments as ODR (for special operations), Vympel and Alpha.
Also in the structure of the FSB is:
- The economic security service, which includes the counterintelligence departments of industrial enterprises.
- Border guard service, as well as service support services, organizational and personnel work, and an operational information system.
- Investigative department, control service, scientific and technical management and registration department.
- The head of the FSB of Russia is Alexander Bortnikov.
How to join the FSB
It is time to briefly talk about exactly how you can get into the structure of the FSB and get a job there. It should be noted right away that the selection system for the Security Service is incredibly strict. Firstly, the applicant will be carefully checked for unwanted family ties. If someone close is a foreigner, a person with a criminal record, or a criminal, then the FSB will be closed forever.
The entrant himself passes a thorough check. Particular attention is paid, of course, to health. Be sure to check your eyesight, weight and height. After physiological tests, a study of the education is carried out. To work in the FSB, you need to pass a series of psychological tests and pass physical standards. One hundred meters need to be run in 14 seconds, and a kilometer in four and a quarter minutes.
Education to work in the FSB
Employees of the Federal Security Service are considered representatives of the elite structure. They should differ both in intellectual indicators and in physical ones. And therefore, when applying for a job at the FSB, it will not be superfluous to present your portfolio. It should include various diplomas, medals and badges for sports achievements, documents from the olympiads, etc.
You will also have to hide some unpleasant facts about yourself. For example, this is the presence of concussions in the past, scars, or even some serious, and even more so chronic diseases.
How much do FSB officers get?
As already mentioned, the Security Service is a fairly closed structure. However, the question of the salary of the FSB officer still cannot remain unanswered.
The amount of finance received directly depends on the status that the FSB officer received during the service. Naturally, the average salary of representatives of the FSB will be several times higher than that of employees of other federal departments. If we talk about changes in its volume, then over the past five years, monthly income has grown by about half.
However, in comparison with employees of similar structures in other states, the salary of people working in the FSB of the Russian Federation is still not so high. The salary of officers who belong to the highest rank is from 48,000 to 52,000 rubles per month. This is not to say that this is a big salary. It was planned at the time to significantly increase it, but the crisis, unfortunately, destroyed all plans.
But there is one caveat. These are allowances for travel expenses, length of service, title, fulfillment of especially important tasks, etc. Do not forget about bonuses. December 20 is the Day of the FSB officer. Every year on this day, employees are given good bonuses.
Reviews of work in the FSB
There are still not so many responses about work in the system under consideration. The fact is that employees need to hide as much information as possible about their activities.
However, from the available sources it still becomes clear that the work itself has one undeniable advantage and disadvantage.
Plus, work in the FSB is prestige and decent pay. The disadvantage is danger, too hard work and complete lack of initiative in the lower ranks.