What Is Industrial Espionage? The term industrial espionage refers to
the illegal and unethical theft of business trade secrets
for use by a competitor to achieve a competitive advantage.
What is industrial espionage in ethics?
Industrial espionage is
the covert, and sometimes illegal, practice of investigating competitors to gain a business advantage
. The target of an investigation might be a trade secret, such as a proprietary product specification or formula, or information about business plans.
Why is industrial espionage unethical?
Industrial espionage embraces
illegal and unethical methods of collecting corporate data
. It involves stealing intellectual property and trade secrets to use them for a competitive advantage. The theft of economic information sponsored by foreign states is called economic espionage.
Why is corporate espionage unethical?
Corporate espionage, as unethical behaviour, is described from various perspectives such as the
personality characteristics of employees
, the organizational environment, the inter- action between individual characteristics and the organizational environment, and the social interactions within the organization.
Is corporate espionage a crime?
Is Industrial Espionage Illegal? … The
U.S. government governs corporate espionage by
the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. The law codified what a trade secret was and made stealing commercial secrets a federal crime. Penalties for corporate espionage can result in prison time and millions of dollars in damages.
Is being a spy illegal?
Espionage against a nation is a crime under the legal code of many nations. In the United States, it is covered by the Espionage Act of 1917. The risks of espionage vary. A spy violating
the host country’s laws may be deported, imprisoned, or even executed
.
Is competitive intelligence ethical?
Since competitive intelligence relies on public information and market research, you can be reassured that the
process is ethical
and a wise decision.
What is an example of industrial espionage?
Types of industrial espionage
Trespassing onto a competitor’s property or accessing their files without permission
.
Posing as a competitor’s employee
in order to learn company trade secrets or other confidential information. Wiretapping a competitor. Hacking into a competitor’s computers.
What are the forms of industrial espionage?
- Real Estate Sector.
- Larceny.
- Intellectual Property.
- Terrorism.
- Research and Development.
- Espionage.
- Sabotage.
What is the difference between competitive intelligence and industrial espionage?
While competitive intelligence is characterized by honest research,
espionage is by definition shady and secretive
. It’s more akin to going through the competition’s garbage, looking for clues, than it is to legitimate fact-finding.
What is the penalty for corporate espionage?
The difference between industrial espionage and corporate spying is
20 years and $10 million
. That’s the maximum sentence under the U.S. Industrial Espionage Act for an individual, and one possible fine for an organization, for stealing trade secrets for money or for the benefit of a foreign country.
How much does a corporate spy make?
More often than not, spies work solo in foreign countries, which means they can be isolated from friends and friendly faces for years at a time. Worst of all, spies don’t even earn particularly high salaries; the average CIA special agent takes home
roughly $70,000 every year
.
How do you solve corporate espionage?
- Identify Your Companies Trade Secrets. …
- Identify the Threats. …
- Ensure Physical Security. …
- Establish Policies for Controlling Information. …
- Train the Workforce. …
- Compartmentalize Information. …
- Conduct Background Checks and Monitoring. …
- Establish Employee Exit Procedures.
Can you go to jail for industrial espionage?
An espionage conviction in California could
result in jail time and substantial fines
. However, as corporate, industrial, and international espionage are all severe issues, you can expect that the associated consequences could be severe.
What does a corporate spy do?
Corporate espionage, often referred to as industrial espionage, is
the practice of spying for financial or commercial gain
. This type of espionage typically involves one organization spying on another in order to obtain information that could benefit their business or harm their competitor’s business.
How can I be a spy?
Qualifications for Spy Training
You must be at least 23 years old, but younger than 37 unless you’re a veteran and meet waiver qualifications. You’ll need a
bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
, some work experience and a driver’s license.
