Author(s): Horia Mircea BOTOŞ, Gheorghe RADU
Publication name: Romanian Intelligence Studies Review
Publisher name: Mihai Viteazul National Intelligence Academy
Publication type: Journal article
Publication date: December 31, 2017
Pagination:
Issue/ Volume: 17-18/2017
DOI:
Abstract
Counterintelligence, as defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is an
organized activity of an intelligence service designed to block an enemy’s sources of
information, to deceive the enemy, to prevent sabotage, and to gather political and
military information. It protects against espionage, assassinations, etc. that might be
done by a foreign agent. Likewise, when we think about business, the source of a
country’s wealth, Business Counterintelligence is an effort of an organization or country
to protect its private and hypersensitive information from being unwantedly accessed.
Intelligence refers to the information that supports decision making and sustains
strategic developments. Thus counterintelligence is the information used to defend the
company from another competitive business and all the implied tools and processes.
Because of this, Competitive intelligence and Business Counterintelligence are
considered sometimes synonymous, despite being different. Competitive intelligence is
the gathering of information, whereas business counterintelligence is the protecting of
the information against the CI efforts. So business counterintelligence represents the
actions taken to limit the access of others to the sensitive and actionable information of
the company.
In this paper we will identify and structure the term of business counterintelligence
and will present examples of such practices. We will try exemplifying the use of
counterintelligence in the business sector by presenting, from a theoretical point of view,
the Russian approaches on Western companies.
Keywords: Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Business Intelligence, Business
Counterintelligence, Russia
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