There is a way for the United States to navigate these treacherous waters: better counterintelligence. Simply put, counterintelligence is about protecting something valuable — an asset, a system, a process, a way of life — from an adversary.

Effective counterintelligence begins with the American people and its public officials understanding that our country has a bull’s-eye on its back. Our position as the pre-eminent military and economic power in the world is under challenge as never before, as extremely capable and dedicated rivals seek to gain advantage over us. China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and other countries pose grave threats, and advanced technology is leveling the playing field.

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This means that agencies across our government must become familiar with the objectives, capabilities and methodologies of our adversaries. In addition, clear national security policies should be rigorously carried out across the entire federal government to ensure that all agencies, especially those outside the intelligence community, understand the best ways to protect government employees and data. Successful counterintelligence also requires our corporations and universities to better protect their vital assets, such as cutting-edge scientific research, so that they do not fall into the wrong hands.

Individual citizens have a part to play in this fight as well. Our nation’s deep political divisions are a major vulnerability; foreign adversaries are trying to exploit them, as the 2016 election showed. To protect our democracy — and our place in the world — we need to restore a sense of national unity and purpose, treating more of our fellow citizens the way we treat our loved ones.

As we head into the 2020 presidential campaign, where our adversaries may once again try to poison our political debate, we would do well to remember something John F. Kennedy once said: “There are few if any issues where all the truth, all the right, and all the angels are on one side.”