I went browsing around recently on Youtube for “economic espionage” looking for early examples of industrial espionage.
What I found was a curious little training film produced in 1967 by the Central Intelligence Agency called: “Defense Against the Spy.”
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent US Government agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior US policymakers. For more information about the CIA visit their website https://www.cia.gov/ .
More about industrial espionage
Industrial espionage takes place today in two main forms. In short, the purpose of espionage is to gather knowledge about (an) organization(s).
1) It may include the acquisition of intellectual property, such as information on industrial manufacture, ideas, techniques and processes, recipes and formulas.
2) Or it could include sequestration of proprietary or operational information, such as that on customer datasets, pricing, sales, marketing, research and development, policies, prospective bids, planning or marketing strategies or the changing compositions and locations of production.
In this particular instance the film was a case study of those devices and techniques used for espionage purposes during the 1960’s.
What I found interesting was the level of sophistication being employed by the spies in this case, as well how relevant this film is even today in combating espionage. I suppose if I had to name one take away from watching the film it would be this: “The first line of defense against the spy is an awareness that it (espionage) can happen to you. So you need to plan accordingly.”
That is particularly true today if you operate on a big or small scale.
See video: Defense Against a Spy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8R9ZZJEH_o
Methods for Economic Protection
- Recognize the threat is real.
- Identify and value trade secrets.
- Implement a definable plan for safeguarding trade secrets.
- Secure physical trade secrets and limit access to trade secrets.
- Provide ongoing security training to employees.
- Develop an insider threat program.
- Proactively report suspicious incidents to the FBI before your proprietary information is irreversibly compromised.
Fight Espionage –
Note: Today the FBI takes the lead in fighting espionage.
The FBI however needs your help in safeguarding our nation’s secrets! As the public is generally regarded as the eyes and ears of law enforcement. That is true either at the national or local level. On the national level the FBI Director has designated espionage as the FBI’s number two priority—second only to terrorism.
The Economic Espionage Unit within the FBI is dedicated to countering the economic espionage threat to include developing training and outreach materials; participating in conferences; visiting private industry; working with the law enforcement and intelligence community on requirement issues; and providing classified and unclassified presentations.
How to fight back:
To report violations, obtain additional information, or schedule a briefing regarding economic espionage, http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field
More on Industrial economic espionage
See related videos: Economic Espionage in America: Threats to Business – Industrial Spies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCJD7ikM784
Meet a corporate spy
See video: Industrial Espionage in Death Valley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxd3EKEXDXs
Tradecraft
See video: Industrial espionage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUTTMlA_suk