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In
today's highly competitive market place, the threat from technical surveillance
(electronic eavesdropping or 'bugging') is increasing at an alarming rate.
The simplest and most cost effective way to achieve information theft
or gather Commercial Intelligence (CI) is by the use of technical surveillance.
The
end of the "Cold War" has released a great many highly trained
government employee's from many countries, on to the commercial market.
These former operatives have brought their specialist skills into the
commercial world.
It
is very difficult to obtain accurate figures for the damage that commercial
espionage causes to UK companies each year. Many companies do not wish
to admit that they have been the victims of a bugging operation. However
there are a number of useful indicators:
One
source has put the sale of electronic surveillance devices in the UK at
over £5 million per annum.
In
the UK recent alleged cases of the use of commercial espionage include
the NCP and Europark buyout attempt and the surveillance coverage mounted
on Andrew Regan who was attempting an aggressive buyout of CWS.
In
February 1999, the FBI and the US Chamber of Commerce announced that US
companies lose about $2 billion a month to corporate espionage.
The threat is all too real. But don't take our word for it. Check the
following sites to see for yourself. Remember that these are but a few
chosen at random.....
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