(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indiana defense contractors are learning how to double their own defenses, against hackers, spies and thieves.
The FBI and the Commerce and State Departments brought contractors and university researchers together at Indy’s Rolls-Royce plant for a conference reminding them their trade secrets represent a giant prize for foreign adversaries.
Assistant Secretary of State Chris Ford says Russia, Iran, and other countries have all targeted American technology, but singles out China as the biggest offender. He says the government has been open about a strategy of using civilian technology to benefit the military, and vice versa.Â
Ford says much industrial espionage involves hackers trying to break into company computers in search of secrets, but low-tech methods are still used as well. He says Congress recently passed a law to close a loophole in rules governing minority investors in startups, a gap he says other countries had exploited.
FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Grant Mendenhall says contractors are well aware they’re targets for industrial espionage, but says it’s important to make sure they’re up to date on the latest threats and how to defend against them.
(Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images)
