Competitive Intelligencea Industrial Espionage: a National Security Perspective
Ali Gök, Taner AkçacıNowadays, companies and nations are being targeted more than ever illegally by actors trying to obtain new technologies, information, and innovations. Companies operating in coordination with governments, particularly in the fields of high technology, military applications, and biotechnology, are particularly attractive targets for industrial espionage because they possess many valuable trade secrets and the latest technologies. These assets can be worth billions of dollars to opponents, and their theft can provide a significant military and economic advantage to rival or enemy states. Therefore, the targeting of confidential business details and technical information by some states or nonstate actors is considered by states within the scope of national security. In particular, countering such industrial espionage activities, rather than competitive intelligence, is included in the scope of counterespionage in intelligence organizations. This study aimed to examine the scope of industrial espionage in depth, reveal the multifaceted dimensions of these activities, and explore the strategies of intelligence organizations and companies to detect and prevent this through examples. In addition, this study explores the complex interaction between industrial espionage and competitive intelligence with economic and national security concerns and sheds light on the delicate balance that intelligence organizations and companies should establish to decouple from industrial espionage.
Rekabet İstihbaratı ve Endüstriyel Casusluk: Ulusal Güvenlik Perspektifinden Bir Değerlendirme
Ali Gök, Taner AkçacıGünümüzde işletmeler ve uluslar, yeni teknolojiler, bilgiler ve yenilikler elde etmeye çalışan aktörler tarafından yasa dışı yöntemlerle her zamankinden daha fazla hedef alınmaktadırlar. Özellikle yüksek teknoloji, askeri uygulamalar ve biyoteknoloji alanında, devletler ile koordineli şekilde faaliyet gösteren işletmeler çok sayıda değerli ticari sırlara ve en son teknolojilere sahip olmaları nedeniyle endüstriyel casusluk için özellikle çekici bir hedeftir. Bu varlıklar, rakipler için milyarlarca dolar değerinde olabilir ve bunların çalınması rakip/düşman devletlere önemli bir askeri ya da ekonomik avantaj sağlayabilir. Bu nedenle bazı devletlerin ya da devlet dışı aktörlerin, gizli iş ayrıntılarını ve teknik bilgileri hedef alması, devletler tarafından ulusal güvenlik kapsamında değerlendirilmekte ve rekabet istihbaratından daha çok özellikle bu tür endüstriyel casusluk faaliyetlerine karşı koyma, istihbarat örgütlerinde “kontrespiyonaj” kapsamına alınmaktadır. Bu çalışma, öncelikle endüstriyel casusluğun kapsamını derinlemesine inceleyerek bu faaliyetlerin çok yönlü boyutlarını ortaya çıkarmayı ve bunun tespiti ve önlenmesine yönelik istihbarat örgütleri ile işletmelerin stratejilerini örnekler üzerinden keşfetmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca çalışma, endüstriyel casusluk ve rekabet istihbaratının, ekonomik ve ulusal güvenlik kaygıları ile arasındaki karmaşık etkileşimi araştırmakta ve endüstriyel casusluğa karşı, istihbarat örgütleri ile işletmelerin kurması gereken hassas dengeye ışık tutmaktadır.
Espionage has entered a new stage of development in the business world at the end of the Cold War and has affected globalization and technology. At this point, the widespread use of cyberspace brings several security risks and threats to companies. The main problem in defining how companies will be affected by these threats is that, in many cases, companies cannot detect incidents or disclose them because of commercial concerns. Companies operating in coordination with governments, particularly in high technology, military applications, and biotechnology, are particularly attractive targets for industrial espionage because they possess many valuable trade secrets and cutting-edge technologies. These assets could be worth billions of dollars to adversaries, and their theft could give rival or enemy states a significant military or economic advantage. In recent years, industrial espionage activities have significantly increased. This is partly due to technology competition with the United States, with China emerging as a major player in the global defense market. China has been accused of systematic industrial espionage against the United States and other Western countries to accelerate its military modernization. In addition to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are alleged to be performing these activities. Unauthorized access to confidential data, proprietary technologies, and intellectual property threatens not only the national security of states but also global security. In this context, understanding the dynamics of industrial espionage is becoming increasingly important for policymakers, defense agencies, and researchers engaged in developing national defense capabilities in an increasingly interconnected world. Thus, the targeting of confidential business details and technical information by some states or nonstate actors is considered within the scope of national security by states. In particular, countering such industrial espionage activities, instead of competitive intelligence, is included in the scope of counterespionage in intelligence organizations. As a result, business and commercial objectives are becoming increasingly important for intelligence organizations alongside military or political objectives. In this framework, although competitive intelligence and industrial espionage constitute the subject matter of corporate governance and security studies, they are addressed from the perspective of security studies. In this context, why have intelligence organizations had to intervene in the fight against such activities, which are a matter of the private sphere and primarily concern the corporate security of companies? In other words, why should intelligence organizations treat industrial espionage activities a security concern? In the fields of high technology, military applications, and biotechnology, the possibility that information, ideas, and trade secrets that should remain confidential could fall into the hands of rival or enemy states is perceived by states as a threat to economic security. From this viewpoint, the corporate security of companies operating in these fields is becoming increasingly important for states; therefore, the scope of the duties and powers of intelligence agencies is expanding to include the corporate security of companies against industrial espionage. Given the inability of national and international legislation to provide a comprehensive legal framework for industrial espionage, the role of intelligence agencies in ensuring corporate security is becoming increasingly important. Although many companies have corporate security departments, few companies have well-planned counterintelligence functions, given the increasing scale of industrial espionage activities. In addition, the fact that intelligence agencies resort to industrial espionage to provide military, economic, and technological advantages to their countries makes the already-weak corporate security departments of companies even more threatening. In addition to the aforementioned situations, the widespread use of cyberspace and the easy transfer of information/data across distances and national borders have resulted in various security risks and threats for companies. At this point, the detection of industrial espionage activities in cyberspace and the development of counter strategies also challenge corporate security departments. Thus, companies must seek support from their country’s intelligence agencies to ensure their corporate security. Currently, intelligence agencies and corporations are working together to prevent the threat of critical information and technological innovations being intercepted by other actors. However, this effort must be further developed, particularly by introducing common innovative approaches to detect cyber-attacks and other forms of industrial espionage. Ultimately, states and international organizations/institutions should ensure that severe sanctions and penalties are included in national and international legislation to increase deterrence against industrial espionage.
