The term “espionage” often brings images of double agents and covert undercover missions to mind. This is how espionage is depicted in the movies, but in real life, it can take on many other forms. Businesses may not need to worry about James Bond spying on their company, but they should be concerned about corporate espionage. Corporate espionage, often referred to as industrial espionage, is the practice of spying for financial or commercial gain.

In June 2020, a knife attack at a kindergarten in China injured 39 people, many of them children. The perpetrator was a security guard at the school. This was an insider attack and a horrific act that happens far too often across the world. While the majority of the cybersecurity industry is focused on securing data, the growing convergence of digital and physical security remains unhinged.

The world has seen more unprecedented events in the first six months of 2020 than some see in a lifetime. From a pandemic threatening the health and lives of people worldwide and triggering unprecedented social isolation to recent devastating events catalyzing global civil unrest, this year almost feels apocalyptic. As always, in times of disruption and uncertainty, vulnerabilities are exposed, and opportunities are opened for the selfish few to capitalize on others’ misfortune.

Making the transition to a work from home arrangement has been a heavy lift for a lot of organizations. However, due to various risk factors and regulations, making the sudden shift to working from home has been more complicated for some sectors than others. Industries such as the financial and healthcare sectors, as well as those working for the government, face tighter restrictions on how they are allowed to work remotely.

Every organization needs to keep tabs on other players in the industry in order to stay competitive. It’s common for an organization to analyze a competitor’s website, perform secret shopping trips, and monitor a competitor’s marketing strategies. This type of competitive research is perfectly legal. But if an organization unlawfully obtains another company’s sensitive information, it is considered industrial espionage, which is illegal.