Espionage Series | Corporate Espionage

Corporate espionage (also called industrial espionage) is when a company, or someone working for it, spies on a rival business to steal confidential information.

🔹 What it Usually Targets

  • Trade secrets (formulas, designs, codes, recipes, manufacturing processes)
  • Business strategies (marketing plans, pricing, expansion plans)
  • Technology (software, patents, prototypes)
  • Customer data

🔹 Methods Used

  • Hacking & Cyberattacks → breaking into servers to steal files.
  • Insider leaks → bribing or recruiting employees of a rival company.
  • Physical theft → stealing documents, samples, or devices.
  • Social engineering → tricking employees into revealing sensitive info.
  • Surveillance → monitoring business activities (sometimes illegally).

🔹 Real Examples

  1. Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi (2006)
    • A Coca-Cola secretary tried to sell trade secrets (including a new drink formula) to Pepsi.
    • Pepsi actually alerted Coca-Cola and the FBI, leading to arrests.
  2. Waymo vs. Uber (2017)
    • Google’s self-driving car company (Waymo) accused a former engineer of stealing 14,000 confidential files before joining Uber.
    • Uber settled and paid $245 million in stock.

🔹 Why It Matters

  • It’s illegal in most countries, often punished under trade secret theft or intellectual property laws.
  • It can give an unfair advantage in competition.
  • For companies, it can cause huge financial losses and damage trust.

✅ In short:
Corporate espionage = spying between companies for profit, instead of spying between governments for national security.