Intelligence: We Will Not Burn You

Archives

December31, 2008: Every cloud has a silver lining, and spies are finding the current world-wide economic recession an opportunity to obtain corporate secrets and technology from the many employees who are losing their jobs. A recent survey of British IT (Information Technology, namely computers) workers found that 60 percent would take company secrets with them if they got fired. This despite the fact that doing so is illegal, and many such information thieves get caught when they try to sell their stolen secrets. That's because most companies will not buy the stuff, but will help the police nail the seller. This bit of corporate altruism is based on the fact that all these companies know they are vulnerable to such theft, and are breaking the law if they buy such pilfered goodies. Better to close ranks and help the police catch and prosecute the thieves.

Intelligence agencies, however, are not so encumbered. Chinese and Russian spies are out looking for recently fired IT workers, or anyone else with access to useful information, that are willing to supplement their unemployment benefits by trading company secrets for cash. Counter-intelligence operatives are also out there, trying to detect these transactions, and arrange for some well-publicized prosecutions. This is believed to discourage selling corporate goodies to anyone, especially foreign spies.
 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contribute. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   contribute   Close