Publications
Military and Strategic Affairs, Volume 6, No. 1, March 2014

Cyberspace is especially suited to the theft of business information and to espionage. The accessibility of information, along with the ability to remain anonymous and cover one’s tracks, allows various entities to engage in the theft of valuable information, an act that can cause major damage. Israel, rich in advanced technology and a leader in innovation-based industries that rely on unique intellectual property, is a prime target for cyber theft and commercial cyber attacks. This article examines the scope of cyber theft and cyber industrial espionage globally, and attempts to estimate how much financial damage they cause in countries around the world and in Israel. It seeks to raise awareness of the extent of the phenomena
among the relevant authorities in Israel and provide recommendations on how to grapple with it.
The opinions expressed in INSS publications are the authors’ alone.
Publication Series
Military and Strategic Affairs