Wiktionary
n. (context espionage English) a cover which is a position at a governmental agency (ex. posing as a member of the diplomatic service)
Wikipedia
In espionage, an official cover operative is one who assumes a position in an organization with diplomatic ties to the government for which the operative works.
Official cover operatives are granted a set of governmental protections, and if caught in the act of espionage, they can request diplomatic protection from their government. In other words, official cover operatives are agents officially recognized by their country.
Usage examples of "official cover".
Others will work under non-official cover as private individuals as a businessman, or archaeologist, or novelist any profession that will give you access to the areas and types of people likely to have the information you're looking for.
Others will work under non-official cover as private individuals –.
Rapp had spent twelve rough years in the field operating without official cover in some of the most inhospitable places in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
But the Black Chamber had to maintain Rachel's official cover—.
He regarded Honor Harrington as an enemy, but she was an honorable one, who'd treated him and his people with respect and dignity after their surrender to her in Yeltsinand that despite the fact that, whatever the official cover story, she'd known the PRH had deliberately attacked and killed Manticoran personnel.
He regarded Honor Harrington as an enemy, but she was an honorable one, who'd treated him and his people with respect and dignity after their surrender to her in Yeltsin, and that despite the fact that, whatever the official cover story, she'd known the PRH had deliberately attacked and killed Manticoran personnel.
If it exists, it's striking that an official cover-up of its very existence has been attempted, that secrecy could be so effective, and that the aircraft could be tested or refuelled all over the world without a single photograph of it or any other hard evidence being published.
But it was essential that no record remain to contradict the official cover stories concocted by the FBI: the big lie about the rogue army officer.
I suspect that I was providing a valuable service to him on these trips-by providing official cover for his own need of a strong drink.
A man powerful enough to get that kind of official cover is somebody who can unbury every secret body of everyone in power this side of the Silence.