Employee ethics can be quite flexible. This can lead them to make devastating decisions, offering to sell out their employer for the right price. Many times they do not even realize they have crossed the line into serious criminal espionage activity. Having regular TSCM sweeps done helps to establish that your information is proprietary and confidential. A benefit to having such programs in place is that employees begin to realize that the information they have access to is protected and confidentiality should not be taken lightly.

A case of mud, money and corporate intrigue

By Loren Steffy | Tuesday, September 25, 2012  Houston Chronicle

It’s a story of international intrigue and secret blueprints, with allegations of corporate spies and clandestine document drops at a kitchen table.

While it has all the makings of the next “Mission Impossible” movie, it doesn’t involve any thing as glamorous as microchips or the access codes […]

Wall Street Journal (09/07/12) Gorman, Siobhan

The U.S. House Intelligence Committee is expecting to hold public hearings next week in which it will question executives of Chinese telecom firms Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. about concerns over corporate espionage, the companies’ ties with the Chinese military and government, and their dealings with Iran. The hearings are part of a year-old probe into the companies by the committee, which has prompted several sharply worded warnings and statements by Huawei alleging it is being discriminated against and protesting its innocence of any wrong doing. ZTE has already announced that it will take part in the hearings and plans to send Senior Vice President Zhu Jinyun. Huawei, however, has said that its participation in the hearings will be conditional on the committee making “appropriate arrangements,” though it has not indicated what arrangements those might be. Both companies have been attempting to further expand […]

From the Denver Business Journal, 9/4/2012

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2012/09/04/colorado-contractor-settles-federal.html?s=print

 Bloomburg Business Week, By Jason Keyser on August 29, 2012

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge sentenced a Chinese-born American Wednesday to four years in prison for stealing millions of dollars in trade secrets from Motorola, describing her as a soft-spoken, unassuming woman who carried out a “very purposeful raid” on the company in the dead of night.

In a barely audible voice and heavily accented English, 41-year-old Hanjuan Jin told the judge she was “so sorry for what happened” and pleaded for a second chance. Her lawyers had argued that she took the files merely to refresh her knowledge after a long absence from work and was not spying for China. They appealed for leniency and asked that Jin receive probation, in part because of her poor health.

But U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo said it was important to send a message that would deter others with access to trade secrets from siphoning […]

 from SC Magazine, UK, Secure Business Intelligence;  Patrick Keddy  August 15, 2012

Corporate espionage is a term that conjures up a world of high-tech gadgets, intelligence agents in trench coats and organised criminal gangs.

This is a world far removed from everyday life at the office – or is it? Companies today are spending an estimated £65 billion dealing with an on-going war against malicious outsiders, intent on accessing their information.

However, corporate espionage covers a broad range of activity, not all of it obviously criminal or malicious and there are many kinds of information and many ways of obtaining it. With money and attention being directed at shoring up IT systems, companies often ignore the risk presented by paper and can lose sight of the serious threat posed, often without intention, by their employees.

A recent Iron Mountain study revealed that office workers often form […]

“No evidence was found…” if you have suspicions of eavesdropping it is important to act immediately and know who to call for support.  “Evidence” can disappear quickly leaving you with nothing more than suspicions.  -cp

NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana State Police investigators have found no evidence that the Saints or general manager Mickey Loomis rigged Superdome wiring so opposing coaches’ radio communications could be intercepted.

“This has been an intensive investigation, and after numerous interviews we have determined that there is no evidence that state laws have been violated,” State Police Col. Mike Edmonson said Monday after meeting with Saints owner Tom Benson in New Orleans to brief him on the status of the probe.

State police investigators have been working in conjunction with the FBI since the eavesdropping allegations surfaced in news reports in April.

“We found no corroborating evidence that Mickey Loomis or anybody in the Saints was engaged in wiretapping or […]

New businesses especially need to pay attention to keeping their proprietary information safe.  In this article, Susan Shreter gives information security tips for those starting out in a new venture. If you are planning any new business moves- whether starting a new business, adding a new product line, acquiring another company, you need to be sure that your discussions, your planning meetings, and your offices are protected from espionage. A professional TSCM sweep would be a good place to start.  -cp

By Susan Schreter  Published August 13, 2012  FOXBusiness

Is there such a thing as entrepreneurial espionage? Entrepreneurs who believe that their “great ideas” have been stolen by ruthless competitors, opportunistic web surfers, shady consultants, and dishonorable prospective investors, would say, “Yes! There are people out there who will take advantage of all too trusting entrepreneurs.”

When entrepreneurs ask me about the risks associated with sharing their business plans with complete strangers, […]

Thursday August 9, 2012

BOSTON (AP) – A former Intel Corp. worker in Massachusetts has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of computer chip manufacturing and design secrets while working for a rival company.

Biswamohan Pani was also sentenced Wednesday in Boston to two years of probation and fined $17, 500. He pleaded guilty in April to five counts of wire fraud.

Prosecutors say the 36-year-old Pani downloaded secret documents from Intel in May and 2008, shortly after he announced he was leaving his job in Hudson, Mass.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel valued those documents at between $200 million and $400 million. The company detected and reported the theft.

Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. hired Pani and cooperated with investigators. The Sunnyvale, Calif. company did not know of Pani’s scheme.

[Read Original Article]

These spies may not wear long black overcoats, black hats and black leather shoes, but at a time when corporates are consistently in a battle for one-upmanship, detectives give companies that extra edge they need to stay ahead. 

The rising trend can be judged by the sheer growth in the number of detectives that the country has right now. From around 500 investigators 10 years back, the number has swollen to 15,000 today, says Kunwar Vikram Singh, chairman of Lancers Network, a risk consulting corporation. And while detectives have helped the companies with information they need for their strategies and survival, this practice has not gone down well with the ethics brigade.

V.M. Pundit, chief executive officer of Multidimensional Management Consultants, a security and investigation company, says these days most companies are allotting sizeable budgets for ‘security purposes’, which include strengthening internal data security measures as well as keeping an eye on […]

Sergeant indicted in illegal wiretap Source: abc2news.com A Baltimore City Police Sergeant has been indicted on charges of illegally recording, playing phone conversations with a judge.

reported from: The Wall Street Journal, by Evan Perez
 WASHINGTON—The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s spy hunters usually shy away from drawing attention. But they’re hoping the public takes notice of a new campaign trying to stop foreign spies from stealing trade secrets from U.S. companies.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s spy hunters usually shy away from drawing attention. But they hope the public takes notice of a new campaign to stop foreign spies from stealing U.S. trade secrets. Evan Perez has details on The News Hub. Photo: FBI.

The FBI, which is responsible for investigating breaches by foreign intelligence agencies, Friday will unveil billboards in nine cities around the country with the message: Protect America’s Trade Secrets. The billboards direct the public to a section of the FBI website where the bureau provides warning signs to look for in the cubicle next to you.
Behind the campaign is the government’s view […]