| Abstract |
The United States remains the prime target for foreign economic collection and industrial espionage by virtue of its global technological leadership and innovation. Collectors from across the globeprivate businessmen, scientists, engineers, students, and foreign military and intelligence officersengaged in economic collection activities against the United States in Fiscal Year 2007 (FY 2007), according to information amassed by the Counterintelligence (CI) Community. While collectors came from a large number of countries, those from fewer than 10 nations, including both allies and adversaries, accounted for the bulk of targeting activity. Foreign collectors continue to target a wide variety of unclassified and classified information and technologies in a range of sectors. According to the CI Community, which has the most detailed information on foreign collection efforts against dual-use, export-controlled, and military items, the most heavily targeted sectors across all agencies include aeronautics, information technologies, lasers, sensors, optics, and armaments and energetic materials. Targets also include the unique manufacturing processes and trade secrets used to produce technological goods and services. The methods employed by collectors remain as diverse as the collectors themselves. They include direct requests, solicitation and marketing of services, acquisition of technologies and companies, targeting at conferences or other open venues, exploitation of joint research and official visits, and targeting of US travelers overseas. Collectors increasingly make use of technologically sophisticated methodologies such as cyber attack and exploitation, which obfuscate their identities and goals. Tracking, analyzing, and countering foreign collection efforts are increasingly difficult challenges as the growth of multinational organizations in the increasingly global marketplace compounds and obscures the threat to the United States. |
