DGSI: Missions of the General Directorate of Internal Security

The General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) is the French domestic intelligence service bringing together experienced police officers and specialized investigators. These multiple missions include notably the fight against terrorism, counter-espionage and cyberdefense.

Table of Contents:

• DGSI Missions

• DGSI Recruitment

• Careers

Founded in 2014, the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) succeeds the Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DCRI) which was itself the merger of General Intelligence (RG) and the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST). It was following the March 2012 attacks on French soil that the reform was implemented by decree n°2014-445 and came into effect on May 12, 2014. The DGSI is placed under the direction of the Minister of the Interior and has greater autonomy and staff. Since October 2018, the direction of the DGSI has been entrusted to Nicolas Lerner.

The DGSI missions include:

• Counter-espionage;

• The fight against terrorism;

• Cyberdefense;

• Prevention and repression concerning the acquisition or manufacture of weapons of mass destruction;

• The surveillance of criminal organizations;

• The surveillance of any person, group or organization likely to harm French institutions or national security.

   

The DGSI works closely with the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE) which, for its part, protects the Nation's interests outside French territory through clandestine operations.

To join the General Directorate of Internal Security, you must be a French national. Recruitment conditions differ depending on the candidate's status:

• For national police officers: job openings are published on the national police intranet and recruitment is part of a transfer process.

• For civil servants: recruitment is part of mobility campaigns of the Ministry of the Interior. For administrative profiles, recruitment to the DGSI can be done directly upon completion of competitive exams.

• For candidates who are not civil servants: these contractors are recruited under a fixed-term contract (CDD) of 1 to 3 years, renewable. The CDD can be converted into a permanent contract (CDI).

The recruitment process at the DGSI, depending on the position, may include: a professional interview, technical tests, a psychological evaluation and a security investigation.

To successfully carry out its missions, the General Directorate of Internal Security needs different profiles:

• Engineers and technicians: programming, computer systems and network administration, cryptography, digital investigation (Forensics), etc.

• Linguistic experts: Chinese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, etc.

• Support: administrative, human resources, lawyers, handlers, architects, research officers, management controllers, etc.

• Analysis and investigation: monitoring, archiving, technical data exploitation, operational analyst in economic protection, cyber-infiltration, judicial investigations, etc.