Industrial Espionage

Industrial Espionage.

Espionage between professionals has always existed, even in the simplest professions. The shopkeeper would spy on the other side to see if he was closed on Sunday so that he could open.

When my father would send me out in the evenings for cigarettes (2 drachmas for 8 cigarettes) I would go to the distant grocery store. This was because on the way back I was imitating the dudes of the time. Sometimes I put it in my ear, sometimes in my mouth. The shopkeeper would ask me if the last one was closed so he could stay open late to get more sales.

Adaptation of espionage according to the years

Apart from the fair and unfair competition in recent years in Greece of globalization, big business and technology, industrial espionage is growing. Competition, the fear of collapse but also the hope that a company will grow, become viable , merge or sell are the reasons why people resort to it.

Clearly the collection-analysis-utilisation and transfer of information has changed. There are no more pigeons , smoke signals and messengers. Instead there are microchips, usb, cryptography, satellites, secure codes , keyloggers and high-tech audio-visual signals.

External and internal spy sources

External and internal sources of espionage

Industrial espionage is done by external and internal sources. External sources are the media, print media, conferences, social events, presentations and the internet. Several times on websites we see (product sold out-immediately available-new delivery-delivery in such a time-discount).The company’s workers union is well informed by strikes ,stoppages, protests and discussions. That is where much of the information is drawn from.

Internal sources and more dangerous, because as a rule the castles from within fall, is from within the company some manager or ordinary employee , without a necessary condition of financial benefit. The motive may be emotional, patriotic, ideological, a relationship of dependence or enmity towards the company( etc.).

Another way is to plant a spy in the company with an employee relationship ,who has access to the files and records, photographs, intercepts information.

Industrial Espionage:

Separation of intelligence information according to purpose

The information requested is appropriate to the purpose. If it is a competition, takeover or merger.When it is a merger or takeover, financial information, financial openings – pending, active contracts litigation, turnover ,profits ,debts are of interest.If the credit institution or financier is still backing the company, if other proposals have been made, is some of the information that gives strength to the negotiation.

When it comes to competition, of interest are the long-term strategy, investment plans , acquisitions, mergers, new equipment, relocation, information about branches, agents, new products, contacts with future partners, the operation of the competing company, recruitment of executives-staff, ways of storage-distribution , points of sale of goods, new products and others. Also customer lists, potential customers-contracts, contracts and prices. Consistent customers – bad debtors, agents, suppliers.

Spies have almost all major chains and are updated daily on competitors and new products , offers, customers, customer quality and consumer behaviour.

Methods of protecting information from industrial espionage

There are ways to protect a company. Companies should secure their data, there should be classifications, assignments of specific responsibilities with tiered safeguards and safeguards, so that if there is an access or intrusion into sensitive files it is limited to one scale and not to the image of the whole company. This is accomplished by installing anti-counterfeiting software, systematic electronic auditing in management offices-decision-making areas-laboratories and communications; and the destruction of documents, even those that we estimate to be of no importance.

Denying access to the servers and the telephone switchboard. The maintainer should be controlled and not whoever we think he knows or we think we know. Cleaning and repair crews to be supervised by the security supervisor. Entrance and exit should be controlled for staff, customers and visitors and recorded. News releases and interviews coming out of the company to be controlled and careful. Finally it is very useful to leak misleading information to competitors.

In 2010, at a ball held by a company in a nightclub, an executive, wanting to impress the staff, revealed that the new product to hit the market would be ready in 30 days. He got a lot of applause. As a result, the competing company was able to release it in 10 days in the market in a jubilant manner.

Finally I want to add that there are several companies that without being shielded spy on rivals and destroy themselves. Because if you get a reliable information it is good, if you get a misleading one it is disastrous.

“The above text may be indicative of practices and methods used in the past. Some tactics and methods may now be applicable under the new law 5005/22 concerning the procedure for the removal of privacy of communications, cybersecurity and protection of personal data of citizens.”

Industrial Espionage – economic and industrial espionage

Detective Pelekasis Nikos and Associates
Private Investigations Office
39 Stadiou Street, Athens, 2103616406
8 Dragatsi, Piraeus, 2104131298