Spy News as seen from London - The WhiteRock Report

 via WhiteRock...
• Hotel Wiretapping: Latvian Security Services Accused in Planting Bugs in Radisson
• Apple Design Theft: Three Chinese Workers Charged over Leak of iPad 2 Specs
• Espionage Fear: Swiss Intelligence Lists Economic Spying among Major Security Threats
• Trillions for Trade Secrets: South Korean Security Service does the Espionage Maths

Hotel Wiretapping: Latvian Security Services Accused in Planting Bugs in Radisson
An eavesdropping scandal has broken out in Latvia, one of the Baltic States. An investigation was launched last week to find out whether the National Security Service has eavesdropped the VIP rooms in one of the high-end Radisson chain hotels, popular among foreign dignitaries.

The country’s former transportation minister, Ainars Slesers, made the allegation in a TV interview, which became the basis for the investigation. He claimed the luxury suites at the Radisson Blu Ridzene in the country’s capital Riga were bugged over a long period of time, while the hotel hosted numerous foreign and local high-ranking officials. The constitutional Protection Bureau, which carries out wiretaps in Latvia, refused to comment on the allegations. 

Raili Maripuu, WhiteRock Managing Director: "Many government bodies and global corporations alike neglect the appropriate security measures when utilising hotels to host high value meeting and events. This investigation into wiretapping in the Radisson hotel is a stark warning to businesses that rely solely on in-house security provisions. Solutions to counter unauthorised surveillance at events and meetings in public locations exist, which aim to mitigate exposure, maintain confidentiality and avoid subsequent embarrassment and financial loss."
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Apple Design Theft: Three Chinese Workers Charged over Leak of iPad 2 Specs
Three employees of the China-based computer components manufacturer Foxconn, arrested in December 2010, were charged two weeks ago for violating trade secrets when leaking the design of the iPad 2.

Apple was alerted to the leak by the fact that some accessory manufacturers were prepared to offer cases for the iPad 2 ahead of the product itself going on sale. Foxconn supplies the components for the Apple products, such as iPhone, iPad and MacBook, but also works with HP, Dell, Microsoft, Sony and Samsung.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The US Congress recently gave an option to ban a scientific collaboration with China due to extremely high espionage risk. Source: Forbes 

Espionage Fear: Swiss Intelligence Lists Economic Spying among Major Security Threats
Switzerland’s National Security Service outlined commercial espionage as one of the greatest future threats in its report published last week.

The report warns that economic espionage can undermine state sovereignty, weaken the competitiveness of businesses established in Switzerland and threaten the financial industry. Swiss Federal Intelligence states further that to fight economic espionage, protective and preventative measures are needed, such as the Government’s Prophylax training programme, which aims to help private corporate and research institutions to better protect themselves.
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Trillions for Trade Secrets: South Korean Security Service does the Espionage Maths
The South Korean Industrial Security Center, which works under National Intelligence, estimates that the damage from trade secret leaks to local companies’ amounts to over 50 trillion KRW, i.e. nearly 28 million GBP per annum. (about 46 million USD)

The sum includes the funds that companies invest in technological development and the damage incurred by technology leaks leading to sales and export failure.

The Korean Association for Industrial Technology Security, which conducted a similar survey late last year, established that nearly 80% of the SMEs developing nationally important technologies found themselves at the danger level.
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