Exfiltration

/ˌɛksfɪlˈtreɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of secretly removing or smuggling out people, documents, or information from a location, organization, or country.

Etymology

From 'exfiltrate' + the suffix '-ation' indicating a process. A 20th-century term created by analogy with 'infiltration' in military and intelligence contexts.

Kelly Says

During the Cold War, exfiltration became a crucial concept in spy fiction and real espionage—it's the dramatic finale of every intelligence thriller where agents must get classified documents or defecting scientists out of enemy territory.

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