MI5 has hired a marketing company to recruit British spies by scouring personal websites, including Facebook and LinkedIn pages. They want Russian linguists and analysts. Those whose profiles reveal they are British-born, Russian speakers have been sent pop-up links directing them to an MI5 advert for Russian-speaking spies. Gadgetry: Spy technology has moved on somewhat from the days of guns hidden in fictional leg casts, as depicted here in the 1995 James Bond film Goldeneye . Popular: LinkedIn was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011 and has millions of users . A Whitehall source said that the targeted recruitment had already been a success with a small number joining MI5 through LinkedIn. Recruits will use old-fashioned spycraft as well as new online technology.
Potential secret agents once got a tap on the shoulder at Oxford University . Now MI5 will scour the internet including Facebook and LinkedIn profiles . Marketing company hired to do the work and needs Russian speakers .