StB

The StB, Státni bezpečnost, was the Czechoslovak secret police.  From 1945 to 1990 is served as the intelligence and counter-intelligence agency that dealt with any activity deemed subversive to the state.

The StB was an instrument of the communist party and was headquartered in Prague.  The StB had around 30,000 informants who helped it spy on fellow citizens.

Each Warsaw Pact country had its own secret police.  The Soviets had the KGB, East Germany had the Stasi, while in Romania is was the Securitate.

Today in Czech Republic, former StB agents, as well as informants, are banned from certain jobs.  They can not be legislators or police officers.

The Security Information Service, Bezpečností informační služba (BIS), is the Czech national intelligence service.  It was formed in 1994 and is not a direct successor of the StB.