Israeli police have arrested 21 people following a six-month investigation into allegations that an A-list of Israeli companies used Trojan horse software to spy on commercial rivals in Israel. The tip-off came when an Israeli author, Amnon Jacont, started to suspect that his disgruntled ex-son-in-law was spying on his computer. Among other things, Mr. Jacont found that material he had written but never published was being disseminated on the Internet. He complained to the police, and commissioned a security firm, 2bSecure, to inspect his PC.
Corporate espionage is more prevalent than many people believe, especially in high value sectors. This incident’s focus on strategy secrets and corresponding targeting of many of Israel’s ad agencies also offers valuable food for thought to defense industry firms wishing to protect their secrets. Red Herring Magazine has the details.