WHO IS STEALING OUR TRADE SECRETS?

Espionage (also known as corporate, industrial, or economic espionage, and more recently, cyber espionage) is stealing trade secrets from an organization or government entity for personal gain or a benefit to a country. Espionage was historically linked to military or homeland security defenses or high-tech industries, but has evolved to threaten products, procedures, and even ideas for any industry, large or small. The amount of capital spent by the United States for research and development is higher than in any country worldwide. It involves efforts and resources for developing unique products or processes to give them an edge in the business world. The adverse effects of stolen trade secrets cause substantial damages. Victims may suffer the following consequences: loss of valuable employees, lost revenue, loss of investments used for research and development, interrupted or halted products, a damaged reputation, or bankruptcy. The objective of this paper is to shed light on the most prevalent thief in the loss of trade secrets in the United States, the People's Republic of China, how those losses impact our economy, and ways we can protect ourselves in the future.