Citation[]
Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, 2000 Annual Report to Congress on Foreign Economic and Industrial Espionage (full-text).
Overview[]
This annual examination by U.S. government agencies of the threat of foreign economic and industrial espionage is conducted in compliance with Congressional mandate. Information obtained during the past year showed no reduction in attempts by foreign governments, corporations, and individuals to acquire U.S. proprietary economic information:
- The increasing value of trade secrets in the global and domestic marketplaces and the corresponding spread of technology with dual applications have contributed to a significant increase in both incentives and opportunities for economic espionage.
- Foreign counties continue to target items in all 18 categories of the Department of Defense Militarily Critical Technologies List (MCTL). The most sought-after critical technology categories in 1999 in rank order were information systems, sensors, lasers, electronics, and aeronautic systems technologies.
- In addition to activities in the United States, foreign collectors also operate against U.S. economic interests in their respective countries and in third countries. These activities conducted outside U.S. territory are more difficult to identify and counter.