Civilian intelligence and wartime status

What protections do civilians have when providing intelligence in war?

Civilians and uniformed combatants have distinct protections, but an ununiformed person acting as a combatant risks being treated as a spy.

Civilian status and membership in the armed forces carry different legal protections. A civilian who becomes a combatant should enter a recognized military structure and wear a uniform rather than operate in an ambiguous middle ground. Someone acting as a combatant without uniform risks treatment as a spy, with far fewer practical safeguards. Formal protections are also not always honoured in wartime. A related practical example explains why civilian visitors aboard warships should carry passports in case an unexpected foreign port call leaves them needing to establish their identity and travel status.