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FBI Rolls Out Economic Espionage Awareness Programs Across US

By Todd

MLive.com is reporting on the FBI's current initiative in heightening trade secret theft awareness across the business sectors of the United States. Raising awareness among business leaders and educators is key to the success of the program, FBI officials say. By doing that, Eldredge says, the U.S. can get a handle on the problem and help secure the country's economic future.

The first step for protecting vital information is to identify it, Eldredge says. That includes protecting sensitive research, technologies and information. He adds that unclassified information can be just as critical to protect.

Companies must then develop and implement security or protection programs to monitor the information, including educating employees on how to identify threats.

"The FBI is interested in protecting companies," he says. "We can make a dent, and we have made a dent. The way we can make a dent is to partner with corporate America and academia."

He adds that a critical leg of the effort is academia. Universities engaged in innovative research and development are clearly targets of foreign espionage agents, FBI officials say.

"A lot of research for cutting-edge security is taking place at universities," he says. "We are partnering with academia to protect the U.S."

Full post as published by Womble Trade Secrets Blog on January 23, 2008 (boomark / email).