Economic Espionage and Cybercrime: Evidence and Strategy

每年，犯罪分子窃取了大约2800亿英镑的秘密信息。这些罪行是隐藏的，肇事者可能在数千英里之外。犯罪发生在哪里？在网络世界。网络犯罪分子的目标是有价值的公司资产，因为他们侵入计算机并绕过安全系统窃取机密的商业信息，原型设计，战略投标信息和客户名单。这些资产统称为商业秘密，因为它们的价值来自于它们的保密性。当这种盗窃行为是为了使外国受益时，它被称为经济间谍活动。有关政府和公司正在进行重要的改革，以解决这一问题。然而，尽管这些盗窃行为造成了巨大的经济影响，但人们对它们知之甚少。本研究旨在通过调查商业机密盗窃的数据来了解其经济影响，以解决这种知识的缺乏。本研究使用独特的数据来源，研究网络犯罪中实际发生的情况。通过分析法庭案件中的信息，可以系统地了解什么是盗窃，罪犯是谁，以及这对受害者和整个经济的影响。根据定义，被盗的商业秘密是秘密的，因此很难调查。该项目利用法庭案件中发现的罕见见解和信息，梳理出对这种网络犯罪的更好理解。在这个项目的过程中，一个研究小组将收集和分析法庭数据。研究人员将使用统计和其他分析技术来建立对商业秘密盗窃及其影响的强大理解。这些发现将通过会议、研讨会、学术论文和社交媒体进行宣传，以便对这些主题感兴趣的团体和个人可以参与该项目和研究团队。这项研究将使企业、政策制定者、研究人员和公众受益。企业将更好地了解其商业秘密的价值以及如何最好地保护它们。决策者将能够制定更好的政策，因为该项目将产生证据，将经济见解和客观分析付诸行动。这些改进的政策，创造了保护资产的机制，将有利于整个经济，因为法律和政策将更好地适应实际情况，而不是我们目前的理论情况。研究人员和创新者，从设计下一个系列的时装设计师到开发新飞机的航空航天工程师，都将能够更好地保护他们宝贵的原型、软件程序和其他商业机密。专注于网络安全和商业秘密的研究人员将有更好的见解，从而更好地设计网络安全系统，测试社会政策的数据和商业秘密价值的估计。法律的学者将有机会获得丰富的信息来源，将联合收割机的实证分析与理论方法相结合。最后，普通民众将从增强的安全和改善的政策环境中受益。改善网络安全意味着更好地保护个人数据。这项研究所提供的政策将鼓励创新。就像我们享受新时尚、先进飞机和新药一样，创新改善了生活。然而，有一个群体不太可能从中受益：那些以商业机密为目标的潜在窃贼和企业间谍。

Each year, criminals steal an estimated £280 Billion of secret information. These crimes are hidden, with the perpetrators potentially thousands of miles away. Where does this crime happen? In the cyber world. Cyber criminals target valuable company assets, as they hack computers and bypass security systems to steal confidential business information, prototype designs, strategic bid information and customer lists. These assets are collectively known as trade secrets, as they derive their value from their secrecy. When this theft is done to benefit foreign countries, it is known as economic espionage. Concerned governments and companies are effecting important changes to combat this problem. Yet, despite the huge economic impact of these thefts, very little is known about them. This research seeks to address this lack of knowledge by investigating data on the theft of trade secrets to understand their economic impact.Using a unique source of data, this research examines what is actually happening in cybercrime. Analysis of information from court cases generates a systematic understanding of what is stolen, who the criminals are, and how this affects victims and the economy as a whole. By definition, the stolen trade secrets are secret, and therefore very difficult to investigate. This project uses the rare insights and information found in court cases to tease out a better understanding of this cybercrime. Over the course of this project, a team of researchers will collect and analyse court data. The researchers will use statistical and other analytical techniques to create a robust understanding of trade secret theft and its implications. These findings will be publicised using conferences, seminars, academic papers and social media, so that groups and individuals interested in these topics can engage with this project and the research team. This research will benefit businesses, policy makers, researchers and the general public. Businesses will have a better understanding of the value of their trade secrets and how best to protect them. Policy makers will be able to develop better policy as the project will generate evidence to ground economic insights and objective analysis into action. These improved policies, which create mechanisms to protect assets, will benefit the economy as a whole, as law and policy will be better tailored to the actual, as opposed to our current theoretical, situation. Researchers and innovators, from the fashion designer working on their next collection, to the aerospace engineer developing a new aeroplane, will be able to better protect their valuable prototypes, software programs and other trade secrets. Researchers who focus on cyber security and trade secrets themselves, will have improved insights leading to better cyber security systems designs, data to test social policy and estimates of the value of trade secrets. Legal scholars will have access to a rich source of information to combine empirical analysis with theoretical approaches.Finally, the general public will benefit from enhanced security and improved policy environment. Improved cyber security means better protection of personal data. The policies informed by this research will encourage innovation. Innovation improves lives, as we enjoy new fashions, advanced aeroplanes and new medicines.However, one group is not likely to benefit: the would-be thieves and corporate spies who target trade secrets.