Industrial Espionage

At an economic conference in Berlin in 2013, the then Federal Minister of the Interior, Hans-Peter Friedrich, stated that there were massive international attempts to steal the “raw material of intellect” from German companies. The innovative strength of German businesses makes them highly vulnerable targets of industrial espionage, particularly from the Asian region.

What Is Industrial Espionage? Definition.

The term industrial espionage refers to international corporate espionage conducted between nations. It is typically carried out by intelligence agents and bribed employees and is regulated under criminal law in Section 99 of the German Criminal Code (“Intelligence Agent Activity”):

“Whoever

• conducts an intelligence activity against the Federal Republic of Germany for the intelligence service of a foreign power, aimed at obtaining or transmitting facts, objects, or knowledge, or
• declares willingness toward an intelligence service of a foreign power or one of its intermediaries to carry out such activity,
• shall be punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a monetary fine.” In particularly severe cases, penalties range from one to ten years of imprisonment.

Innovative companies, in particular, are frequent targets of industrial espionage and should therefore take preventive measures and initiate investigative efforts in the event of damage. The experienced economic investigators of Aaden Economic Detective Agency Munich are happy to assist you: +49 89 7007 4378-0.

Are Long-Term Employees Disloyal? | Corporate Espionage

Of course, generalizations cannot be made. However, long-serving employees are more likely to commit offenses against their employers than many companies would expect. On the one hand, established staff members often feel more secure in their positions than new hires; on the other hand, over many years of employment, there may have been moments when they felt unfairly treated. As a result, such employees may be more susceptible to bribery than someone who is still new to the company and eager to prove themselves. In many cases, sudden personal difficulties—such as debt from speculative losses or illness within the family—also play a decisive role, often without the employer being aware of the internal struggles of the employee. Regardless of the perpetrator’s motives, unauthorized information leakage can have devastating consequences for a company. This is why the investigative work of our Munich economic detectives is so crucial in cases of corporate espionage.

Naturally, new employees and even applicants (keyword: candidate screening) must not be overlooked. It is possible that individuals accept a position solely to spy on internal company matters such as customer data, product plans, and similar sensitive information—only to leave the company again after a short period.