Case Of Corporate Espionage Puts HP To Shame
from the HP-on-steroids dept
When the HP pretexting scandal hit last summer, people were rightly stunned by the tactics used by the company to discover a boardroom leaker. After all, the company even spied on reporters. Now, BusinessWeek has a fascinating article on a case of corporate espionage that, frankly, makes the HP situation look like child's play. In 2005, a Russian conglomerate wanted to get some information on an investment fund in Bermuda. Through a series of deals, a firm called Diligence was hired to infiltrate the fund's auditor, KPMG. How they infiltrated the company was something straight out of a spy novel. First, they developed a profile of an employee at KPMG that would be likely to leak information. So, for example, a male in his mid-20s that liked to take risks and needed cash would serve as a likely leaker. For a woman, they were looking for "...a young female who is insecure, overweight, bitchy, not honest. Someone who spends money on her looks, clothes, gadgets. Has no boyfriend, and only superficial friends. Has a strong relationship with her mother." After Diligence settled on its inside man, it had one of its agents meet up with him, pretending to be from the British government, and claiming to need secret information on a matter of British national security. After a period when the two got to know each other, the proverbial canary started to sing. Soon the KPMG employee was handing over documents related to the Bermudan investment fund. For this he was awarded a Rolex watch, which he believed was a thank you gift from the British government. Eventually, the infiltration, dubbed Project Yucca, came to a halt once KPMG was anonymously given documents about the events. Naturally, KPMG sued Diligence and won $1.7 million in a settlement. Another suit, brought by the Bermudan fund, is still ongoing. Diligence insists that it acts within the parameters of the law where it operates, but the company obviously didn't think much of its chances at an actual trial, hence the settlement. The fact that companies engage in various shady activities to gain information on their competitors is not particularly surprising. But the fact that these operations so closely resemble spy stories -- complete with the profiles of a likely leaker -- is really quite incredible.
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Post-Valentine Blues
At this time of year, Japanese women are spending $3,000-$5,000 on doll sets for Girl's Day on March 3rd. Adult women, presumably from the red-wrapper-deficient crowd, are buying the children's dolls for themselves.
http://www.sanspo.com/gourmet/club/070209.html
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Re: Post-Valentine Blues
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It gives Russia and spying a bad name
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How would they Get That Much Personal Info on any
HOW could anyone get this much personal information on any female employee
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How was I supposed to know that the "" tag doesn't work here...
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Re: How would they Get That Much Personal Info on
I could pick one like that out from a crowd. The mother and honesty parts would have to be an assumption, but the rest could be observed from a distance.
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Casting a wide net eh?
Uhm, that describes upwards of 85% of the women working at KPMG. And most of the men as well.
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New news ? Hardly so ?
Welcome to life.
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Re: How would they Get That Much Personal Info on
pat. pend.
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Re: ///___ (@ @) +----oOO----(_)-----------+
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tip of the iceberg
Corporations were dreamed up to avoid responsibility. You and I and Bill and Fred pour our personal assets into it, but if it fails, gets sued, etc., we get to keep "our" money and try again. Now look at what it has become. Corporations rule these United States, and probably the world.
Why is it that corporations aren't held responsible for their actions--like the citizens whose rights they claim? It is my opinion that corporations caught breaking the law should have to pay the same price as citizens. They lose rights. They don't get to lobby any more. They don't get to hide anything.
I don't see it happening anytime soon, if ever. Our elected leaders are addicted to corporate money, at least for now.
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I'm curious to figure out which aspect of the scandal we're reacting to most violently.
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Re: How would they Get That Much Personal Info on
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Re: Re: How would they Get That Much Personal Info
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