It has become much easier to steal data now, and one need not have the heroics of a James Bond or hop around continents in a private helicopter to steal data.
<b>Why is it Easier </b>
But the recent Bond movie does give much importance to the secret agent’s jazzy cell and his loudly advertised Sony Vaio laptop. They couldn’t prevent him from getting beaten up by goons, though. However, Mr. Bond is also not into corporate espionage. This is a ‘white collar’ job, and a perfectly respectable man with a pretty house in your quiet neighbourhood might be doing it for a living. In early 2007, London police captured a couple who, posing as harmless software consultants had used the popular Trojan Horse Virus to assist in an Israeli industrial espionage scam. It is getting tougher to capture and recognise espionage agents, thanks to the advent of digital media.
<b>Which Data is at Risk? </b>
The kind of data that is targeted by spies for corporate espionage belongs to two broad groups. First, there are some types of data that will obviously reveal valuable information. Secondly, there is another kind of data that is seemingly unimportant but acts as the way to reach important information.
<ul><li>Business plans and strategy papers are some of the most coveted information by rival groups. If you know what your competitor plans to do next, you can easily create a strategy that will either help you make a similar move beforehand, or stall the other’s move. Strategy papers are particularly good, since they give details and figures concisely. </li>
<li>Details on new products and services are popular targets of both digital and real life industrial espionage rings. We all know that Pepsi and Coca Cola keep blaming and competing with each other on every new product they come up with. </li>
<li>Research papers, engineering details, product design are again common matters that rival companies watch out for. SAP and Oracle have been hitting out at each other for a long time now, claiming that their research papers are being stolen by able spies. Needless to say, both groups are into the game. </li>
<li>What is the exact value of a company? Is it hiding its turnover or inflating its image to allure investors? How much did it make in a particular deal, and how much was revealed to the tax people? Financial data like these is always helpful to know a company thoroughly. </li>
<li>Mergers and acquisitions are another ‘hot’ area of corporate espionage. The Indian retail boom is a case in point, where several Indian and US companies are keeping vigil on each other to know who wants to team with whom and when. </li>
<li>The new favourite of data spies and thieves is creative content. With large IT and consumer goods companies relying increasingly on the attractiveness of their packaging and marketing, creative content is being stolen before it gets copyrighted. </li></ul>
There is also the kind of data that would help a spy to get what he actually wants. This is usually in the form of company server protocol, employee mail access, customer help systems.
<b>How Does Data Theft Happen </b>
Some of the usual methods used are as follows:
<ul><li>A spy needs a disguise. The attractive spam in the inbox of a gullible employee may be a hacker waiting to get into the computer. Once inside, it is short work to get hold of the data from the company server and run away with it. A spy will often obliterate signs of the crime by crashing the server, blowing off the connection temporarily, diverting people with spam and virus and other such tactics. </li>
<li>When an employee is spying, it is easier for him or her to access company data. </li>
<li>Cash transactions and credit card details reveal a lot about a company’s dealings. So the financial service providers of the company may be attacked. Similarly, an ad or marketing house would reveal a lot on an upcoming product from their computer. </li>
<li>Sometimes a spy can put up the pretext of social service, business survey, or even pretend to be an interested client to get hold of the information. Identity theft, misuse of identity and false identity are common tactics in this. </li></ul>
<b>Digital Forensics </b>
Digital forensics companies help in catching data spies and thieves by using digital fingerprinting, dusting, eavesdropping and other systems.
About the Author:
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. For more information on computer crime and Computer Forensics see http://www.fieldsassociates.co.uk
Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:21:23 - 100%
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