Once in awhile, the darker side of corporate intel makes the news and this recent article in USA Today, "Tech Gadgets Help Corporate Spying Surge in Tough Times," is among the compelling ones. It raises some great (and perennial) points: That...
Many organizations' staff know little about formal CI and ethical or legal practices. (And, if they do, they understand little about how to protect themselves.) Corporate espionage continues to tarnish ethical CI. CI and intelligence defense is constant and evolving. Desperate times can lead to desperate (and unethical/illegal) methods. (Although temptation and one's own misdirected cleverness can be ever-present.) One can't ever use enough common sense, combined with forethought and technical & physical security, to protect oneself and one's organization. We need to understand the technology we use not only functionally, but from a security standpoint. (And creativity can be used for defense.) Solid CIKM (CI knowledge management) remains vital. What does this mean to the CI pro?
It's imperative that we stay on top of techniques (ethical/unethical and legal/illegal) in order to achieve and maintain solid CI and defensive intelligence practices. Teachable moments and opportunities for internal training remain constant, as long as technology evolves, practices become more sophisticated and global, and organizations seek to achieve competitive advantages. We can never leave our guard down, and we should encourage our colleagues to do the same. Tales like the ones in this article are valuable lessons for us and our organizations, and it's up to us to share the cautionary tales with our colleagues and sustain the case for good intel and defense.
Cynthia Cheng Correia
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