Foreign Intelligence Services Spy on German Companies

Whether it’s research results, strategies for development, product information, client data or budget plans — business secrets of successful companies are increasingly becoming coveted by industrious spies.

 

The spies, said Elmar Remberg, deputy chief of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Germany’s domestic intelligence agency), come from the former republics of the Soviet Union, but primarily, from China.

 

“China is intensively collecting information around the world — political, military and scientific data, and company strategies in order close the gap in their technology developments as quickly as possible,” Remberg said.

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And there are other weak points, said Michael Hange, deputy chief of the German Federal Office for Information Security. “W-Lan and mobile communication are popular points of assault,” he said.

 

A company in Thailand, for instance, offers monitoring services of cell phone conversations.

 

“You only have to get a hold of your parnter’s cell phone and type in a few commands and then you can monitor all the calls,” Hange said.

 

Experts say, however, that there is no way to protect against industrial espionage one hundred percent. They recommend that companies have a good IT security plan and stress that managers of companies must be more aware of the dangers. Employees must also be trained, even if they are trusted.

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What and How of Industrial Espionage

By: James Walsh

The Cold War is long over, but World War III is an economic war. Competition is now global and there are more competitors than ever before.

Business ethics are not what they used to be. Personal reputation and accountability cannot carry you too far. The pressure is on as never before and in a crowded business community questionable illegal and immoral practices are cloaked in anonymity.

Today’s business environment is rife with incidents of industrial espionage. Knowledge is no longer just power, it is money too. BIG MONEY! Tapped phones, bugged offices, covert recordings, undercover employees, phony repair people, car phone monitors, fax intercepts, dumpster divers, competitive intelligence professionals etc. are terms related to business and yet one would have never heard of them. They are related to information security and that is a subject not taught yet in business schools.
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