Information interception: Act of terrorism?

Governments across the world are finding new ways to keep an eye on their dissidents and to keep track of every minute movement of their so-called enemies. Countries are devising strategies and programs to intercept communication and eventually collect economic and political information. This allows the ‘hacker’ nation in drafting their future course of actions with respect to military and economic development. A few nations, behind the veil of supplying technological products aid to ‘fragile and failed’ nations, have exported technologies that would allow those governments to intercept information and even manipulate them at their own convenience.

As per Privacy International, surveillance equipment are being exported to conflict zones. Devices like IMSI catchers allow the operator to access and control the target’s computer without being identified. Software and technologies that enable operators to locate submarine stations, mass surveillance are also being exported by countries like US and UK to nations like Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Even Germany and Israel are active members of this industry with the market being pegged at £3 billion a year. German counter-intelligence experts announced as recently as in October 2010 that the German economy is losing over €50 billion annually due to espionage. Globally this market is estimated to be more than $80 billion with a growth rate of 7 to 8 per cent.

Interestingly, these gadgets are being further sold by Middle-eastern and African countries to foes of the US which can be dangerous for America’s own interests. For instance, economic espionage has cost American companies more than $10 billion in the last couple of years. In one case, David Wen-Chyu Liou, a Dow Chemical’s employee, was convicted of selling the company’s secrets to Chinese companies for $600,000. Such cases are on a rise with more than 30 cases being exposed since 2010 with Russia alone registering 10 such cases. Already, Syria is using America-made surveillance equipment supplied by California-based Blue Coat Systems in spite of trade sanctions – angering the dissidents who are fighting Assad’s government. In spite of American prohibition and norms laid down for selling crime control equipment to China, US firms like Cisco have set up base there and are selling customised surveillance gadgets to Beijing (Human Rights Law Foundation alleges that Cisco helped China build a firewall for internet censorship and spy on dissidents). As per a report submitted to Congress on ‘Foreign Spies Stealing US Economic Secrets in Cyberspace’ on October 2011, the loss due to information interception can cost up to $398 billion.

The worst is when a company loses its technology due to interception after investing millions and years on its research. Companies like Apple, Ford Motors, Rolls-Royce, Royal Dutch and many others have been victims of such attacks. Information interception and espionage today can be deemed as an act of terrorism and an attack on a nation's sovereignty. Thus, its imperative for global forums to rethink terrorism laws and consider including these crimes in the current legislations.