What is it? Industrial espionage is illegal methods of obtaining information of interest to competing companies. It includes technical methods, such as wiretapping or hacker attacks, and social ones, such as bribery of employees.
Who is at risk? Every company, regardless of its size, is at risk of industrial espionage. The only difference will be in the methods of protection: the larger the business, the more channels of possible leakage will have to be taken under control.
The article explains:
The concept of industrial espionage
Industrial Espionage Methods
Information security to prevent industrial espionage
The Impact of Personnel Policy on Protection from Industrial Espionage
Technical means of protection against industrial espionage
Examples of Industrial Espionage
Responsibility for industrial espionage
Frequently Asked Questions About Industrial Espionage
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The concept of industrial espionage
Research and analysis of industrial espionage shed light on the complex world of corporate intrigue and competitive struggle. The essence of industrial espionage is the illegal acquisition of other people's knowledge, technology and information in order to achieve material benefits and increase competitive advantages. Companies involved in such activities strive to take a leading position in the market, while saving resources needed to create their own technologies.
The concept of industrial espionage
Industrial espionage can be both a national and an international phenomenon, affecting not only economic but also national security. If facts of espionage are revealed, violators face not only the risk of losing their business reputation, but also criminal liability.
The history of industrial espionage has many episodes. The first thefts and transfers of industrial secrets began in the 18th century. For example, in 1712, François Xavier took possession of the secrets of porcelain production from the Chinese and brought them to Europe, which contributed to the development of the porcelain industry on the continent.
In the late 18th century, Britain experienced industrial espionage in the textile industry when Samuel Slater set up a textile factory in the United States in 1789 using designs and technology stolen from England. This episode ended the English monopoly on the world textile market.
No less significant was the penetration into the secrets of rubber production. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Brazil completely controlled this industry, but an English company was able to seize the initiative. Using industrial espionage, the British company stole and transported samples of rubber-bearing plants, grew them and began its own rubber production.
Industrial espionage was also widespread in world history during the Cold War, when the USSR, trying to catch up with the West in various areas, faced restrictions on technology imports. At the same time, despite the Soviet government's desire to achieve success in the development of domestic technologies, they lagged significantly behind foreign ones in many areas. Nevertheless, Soviet computers were often either copies or analogues of the American Intel 3000 and LSI-11/2.