What excatly is "spy detection"?

[Lor360]

Im trying to fabricate claims on Ethiopia as the Mamluks and the spy network construction is slowing down to a crawl of 0.20 or even 0 progress per month. Out of a needed 20 for a claim to get a CB.

Im aware of the Ethiopians using counter espionage and after checking the wiki I discovered there is some mild distance multiplier to building spy networks on far away nations. However I also have a 36% "spy detection" penalty working against me. I cant find any information on what this modifier is or how to lower it. What is spy detection excatly?

 

[True_Heir_of_Rome]

It's a stat that limits the growth of your spynetworks. Your 'spy network construction' competes directly against their 'spy detection'. It seems to me that they either got an event or they took the espionage idea group, either of which would give them spy detection.

You can't lower their spy detection, but you can mitigate it's effects by getting a spymaster, or taking espionage yourself. I would suggest the former.

Edit: You actually can indirectly lower their spy detection by causing them to lose prestige or using 'corrupt officials' to increase corruption. Neither one is especially viable as you need to fight them in a war to lower their prestige, and if you can already fight them you probably don't need the spy network. Also if you can build enough spy network to use 'corrupt officials' you likely don't need their spy detection lowered.