This article examines the evolution of intelligence and counterintelli¬gence services in selected Eastern European countries, formerly part of the Soviet Union, in the two decades of independence. It emphasises transitional influences, the high level of secrecy and the lack of effective parliamentary oversight. In this environment, a common feature of the transition process is the general lack of integrity. Not surprisingly, instead of serving as a guardian against corrupt practices in government, they turn into a major conduit of political and economic corruption.