Abstract:

Nowadays, 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.

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