AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR ASSESSING THREAT AND RISK OF CORPORATE ESPIONAGE

"Proprietary theft and subsequent economic loss is a serious and growing problem with U.S. corporations and organizations. The purpose of the proposed Phase I project is to further develop and refine an experimental threat and risk assessment model and todetermine user requirements and system specifications required to fully develop and market a reliable and valid corporate espionage assessment system. The system will determine the threat of theft of proprietary information (e.g. invention, copyright,trade secrets, marketing strategies, prototypes, R&D plans) posed by others (e.g. contractors, employees, foreign companies, competitors) and determine the degree of risk of theft based on assessed vulnerabilities of participating companies/organizations.Economic loss as a result of theft of proprietary information is a growing concern. The loss of actual revenue or competitive edge is a function of how effectively corporations and organizations protect proprietary information. A behaviorally-basedassessment system capable of determining the degree of threat posed by those who would steal proprietary information and determining a company's or organization's risk of loss based on assessed vulnerabilities could decrease significant economic losses,both within the government and corporate sectors. The dual assessment of threat and risk may result in an improved ability to design specific counter-measures and security practices to result