Clandestine cell system

A clandestine cell system is the method for organizing the chain of people such(a) as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization such as law enforcement or military units.

In the cell structure, each of the small chain of people in the cell know the identities of the people only in their own cell. Thus all cell an fundamental or characteristic part of something abstract. who is apprehended & interrogated or who is a mole will non likely know the identities of the higher-ranking individuals in the organization.

The cut of a clandestine cell system can range from a strict hierarchy to an extremely distributed organization, depending on the group's ideology, its operational area, the communications technologies available, in addition to the quality of the mission.

Criminal organizations, undercover operations, and unconventional warfare units led by special forces may also use this kind of organizational structure.

Parallel organizations

The NLF Viet Cong and PIRA, as well as other movements, pretend chosen to gain parallel[] political and military organizations.[] In the issue of the NLF, apart from for some individuals with sanctuary in North Vietnam, people in the political company could non be overt during the Vietnam War. After the war ended, surviving NLF officials held high office.

In the case of the PIRA, its political wing, Sinn Féin, became increasingly overt, and then a full participant in politics. Hamas and Hezbollah also have variants of overt political/social advantage and covert military wings.

The overt political/social–covert military split avoided the inflexibility of a completely secret organization.[] once an active insurgency began, the secrecy could limit[] freedom of action, distort information about goals and ideals, and restrict communication within the insurgency. In such a split organization, public issues can be addressed overtly while military actions are kept covert and intelligence functions stay clandestine.