FBI warns Businesses To Be On the Lookout for Spies

The FBI has warned businesses to keep a weather eye out for spies amongst their H1-B^[1] hires.^[2] The FBI asserts that foreign-born, American-educated engineers might actually be foriegn spies trying to purloin our country's most valuable trade or military secrets.^[3] The FBI listed "students and educators" as one of the favorite disguises used by foreign agents.^[4] other disguises to be on the look out for include Representatives at supposed “research institutes”; visiting business professionals and scientists who want to tour your state-of-the-art plants and operations worldwide (a great place to take pictures and make friends); tourists or visitors on non-immigrant visas; Diplomatic officials; and False front companies.^[5]

Two examples of the four possible "collection strategies" the FBI said spies use to get their hands on American technology secrets are: a recently hired foreign-born engineer who has been educated in this country. Over a 10-15 year period, she rises to mid-level management. Then, she returns to her home country—where she gets paid by that government to set up a business that competes with yours.^[6] Or perhaps a series of university students and professors from overseas take jobs in research labs on campus and get involved in related military projects. Individually, they learn only bits and pieces. But collectively, when they pass that information back to their home country, it paints a telling picture of our country’s defense initiatives.^[7]

To see the full list of espionage warnings, go here.
To see our previous blogs about spies, go here.

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^[1] The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the United States under the Immigration & Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H). It allows U.S. employers to seek temporary help from skilled foreigners who have the equivalent U.S. bachelor's degree education.
^[2] Luke O'Brien, FBI Warns of Spies Disguised as Foreign Engineers, Wired, July 09, 2007, available at http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/fbi-warns-of-sp.html ( last visited July 11, 2007).
^[3] Id.
^[4] Id.
^[5] FBI website, Spying Page, http://www.fbi.gov/page2/july07/spying070907.htm (last visited July 11, 2007)
^[6] Id.
^[7] Id.