Espionage on the Rise in Automotive Industry
According to government data, industrial espionage in the automotive industry is on the rise, with Toyota, Ford, and General Motors all recently reporting cases of stolen intellectual property.
Most recently, a former Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America IT contractor is being accused of hacking into the automaker’s network and stealing trade secrets. Two of America’s largest automakers recently discovered employees who stole and shared – or perhaps sold – sensitive information to foreign competitors.
In one case, a former Ford employee stole thousands of secrets in order to secure a job with another company. The stolen information included engine and transmission mounting, electric power supplies and electric subsystems. That former employee was caught, slapped with a $12,500 fine and is currently serving a 70-month sentence in federal prison.
The American automaker however estimates the theft to be between $50 and $100 million in labor costs.
[Source: Automotive News]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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