COLUMNS

When an Economic Crisis Collides With an Unprecedented Espionage Threat

Scott Stewart

VP of Tactical Analysis, Stratfor

Apr 14, 2020 | 11:00 GMT

(Blue Planet Studio/SHUTTERSTOCK)

Highlights

While the measures to combat COVID-19 have impacted the ability of intelligence officers to meet with sources and recruitment targets, the number of unemployed people represents a rich universe of potential targets.
The crisis has done nothing to decrease the appetite of hostile intelligence services and competing companies for corporate secrets. If anything, that appetite might increase during these hard economic times.
All this is happening during a time when security budgets are likely to be slashed, leading to an incredible challenge for those charged with protecting company secrets.

I've seen a number of news reports discussing how the lockdowns and travel bans resulting from COVID-19 are hindering the ability of intelligence officers to do their jobs by preventing them from being able to conduct in-person source meets. The inability to conduct face-to-face source meets, and to make personal contact with recruitment targets to develop relationships with them, is a valid concern. I would like to suggest, however, that the economic crisis resulting from COVID-19 will also provide intelligence officers a golden opportunity to spot and recruit new agents....

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