The Espionage Game Continues to This Day - Book Review

We hear a lot in the newspapers, magazines, and on TV about corporate espionage, military industrial complex spies, and government snoopers from Asia, specifically China. 10 to 20 years ago the United States had thousands of Russian and Japanese spies stealing our technology, and trying to figure out what the government was doing in the military. Today, we have espionage going on in all sectors of our economy, and in a way it is a compliment to the incredible innovation, and strength in America.

If we didn't have important information, technology, and innovative spirit those spies from China, Russia, Japan, and other places wouldn't be here in the first place. This just proves that the United States of America is the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind. Nevertheless, when our secrets are stolen, it affects our economy, our business community, and the future strength of our military. Therefore it is unacceptable, and we must stop it.

If you'd like to learn more about this topic, I have an interesting book that I'd like you to read, which is a "no holds bar" accounting of what went on in the 1980s. The name of the book is;

"Industrial Espionage; Intelligence Techniques and Countermeasures," by Norman R. Bottom Junior and Robert RJ Gallati, 1984

In the book the authors talk a lot about Japan, Russia, and how they are and were stealing secrets from the United States. They explain how espionage is a complex activity and in many ways is a form of laziness and greed. They talk about organized crime, nation-states, business competitors, political terrorists, and any combination of threats, they also talk about EEI or Essential Elements of Intelligence.

They talk about "native agents" which are citizens of the enemyThey discuss "inside agents" which are citizens of the enemy in a high-capacity our positionThey reveal the reality about "double agents"They talk about "expendable agents" which can be sacrificed to the enemy after false information is givenThey talk about living agents or professional spiesThey talk about the challenges of crime in a free society
They explain that you should expect little or no assistance in corporate espionage from the Federal Government, and even if you do contact them how do you know the person you're contacting in an agency will not divulge information. In fact, the government gives out more information, and secrets than almost any other source.

The Russians frequent the Library of Congress, and they use the freedom of information act as well. We are being exploited by our own transparencies. This goes on today with Chinese spies. The authors of this book also ask questions like; "how do you know the chief privacy officers and government agency are not moles."

How do you know when someone shows up to your business and claims to be a regulator is actually from the government? And even if they are, how do you know they are spying for someone else? The reality is you don't and these are all tricks that are used. The authors also describe the abundance of bad information, misdirection, and deception;

How conclusions are erroneous in part or whole areHow espionage threats go unrecognized how conclusions are too general for actionHow innocent people are labeled suspects
"You can't put the word intelligence on a garbage report, it still garbage" was one of my favorite quotes in the book. Another good book on this subject is, one these authors actually recommend is;

"Counterintelligence; Everybody's Business," by Nancy L. Barnes

Most electronic counterintelligence equipment is worthless, although some is worthwhile in certain circumstances or at least this was the thought back in 1985, things have gotten a lot better, but they still need improvement and that's probably why the intelligence agencies have formed IARPA. Perhaps, it's time that all US citizens became acquainted with corporate espionage and we track down the spies in our country and send them packing. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in catching all Chinese Spies in America.

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