Sydney Bristow was born April 17, 1975. For the first six years of her life she lived with both of her parents, Jack and Laura Bristow (real name Irina Derevko). However, her father's work with the CIA kept him away from home much of the time. Sydney and her family were living in rural Maryland until Jack was transferred to Los Angeles when Sydney was two. In 1981 her mother, who was also an undercover agent for the KGB, faked her own death to prevent being apprehended by the FBI. Afterwards Jack was taken into custody for some time, because it was believed that he also was part of a larger conspiracy.