Defense contractors are no longer the only target of high-tech theft.
Industrial espionage is a serious threat to Houston corporations who face theft, ranging from independent teenage computer hackers to foreign government-sponsored operations. U.S. intelligence has identified government sponsored operations from French, Israeli, British, Canadian, Japanese, South Korean, Argentine, Egyptian, Chinese, German, and Swedish roups in recent years. Some foreign governments who are involved in private sector partnerships view industrial espionage as a way to boost their economies and reduce unemployment. Research and development efforts by U.S. companies make prime targets for these sophisticated operations. Vulnerable areas of U.S. companies include computer networks, cellular phones, fax machines, voice mail and PBX automated phone networks.