Spies of old with code names and secret handshakes have been replaced with hackers and patent copiers

Companies are being warned by both an industry organisation and the national intelligence agency that industrial spies are ever present.

Jakob Scharf, head of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), recently warned that industrial espionage has been growing steadily in the last number of years and Danish companies are not impervious to it.

‘The fall of the wall did not lead to a fall in espionage activities – almost the opposite. The activities have changed in nature but spies are still a real threat to Denmark’s safety and competitiveness,’ Scharf told Politiken newspaper.

PET has been working closely with the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) to help companies protect themselves from the threat of domestic and international spies. Industrial espionage is traditionally handled by the national police. But if the case involves foreign states, then it comes under the control of the counter-espionage unit at PET.

According to Tom Togsverd, head of DI’s IT division, cyber-crime is becoming increasingly problematic.

‘There is clearly an increasing problem of gangs in Asia and Eastern Europe trying to gain access to confidential information,’ Togsverd told Business.dk.

Both Togsverd and Scharf highlighted the particular risks facing the pharmaceutical and information technology industries.

‘The pharmaceutical industry has always had problems with espionage and we have experienced a number of Danish examples in the field. But the problem affects everyone working with patented products, whether you install pumps, thermometers or radio and TV equipment,’ Togsverd said.