Disputes over whether several countries could intercept effectively the messaging service BlackBerry has led to pay attention to how intelligence agencies government access to electronic communications . For executives , the main question is not whether the messages can be read, but if that information will be used for commercial purposes. In any case, do not be surprised to learn that most states do not want to comment on how is used this information . Reuters spoke to a number of industry analysts and former officials of the intelligence services on how to use electronic surveillance several countries.
Russia
Since the days of the secret police Tsar's , the agencies Russian security have been known to monitor closely foreign and communications. Security experts say many hotel rooms are equipped with microphones and that foreign companies should be very cautious in choosing the information they carry into the country.
The launch of BlackBerry in Russia was delayed for two years while the FSB , the service country's security , trading security access .
"In Russia , journalists are very aware that their mail is intercepted , "said Ian Bremmer , president of the risk consultancy political Eurasia Group. "Given the amount of money involved , someone will be spying on foreign firms. The FSB has the means and uses . Not much I can do besides writing emails knowing they might be intercepted . "
In addition, some oligarchs seem to have close links with the secret service , and Russia has made clear he sees some economic sectors , particularly energy , as key sectors.
China
China restricts severely the use of some technologies of communication and control access to the Internet after her "firewall" in what analysts regarded in part as an attempt to stifle dissent and the dissemination of words, images and ideas contrary to the Party Communist . The country also blocks multiple sites and communication tools such as Skype.
In part because of its relatively simple military, imbalance compared to the U.S. , China is seen as a country that strives to build a department of ' cyberwar ' .
It has also been suspected in many cases of cyber attacks on U.S. companies , a factor key in Google's decision to leave the Asian country earlier this year .
The form did not say whether he believed that the Chinese government was behind the attack, but an advisory committee belonging to the U.S. Congress said in November 2009 that the government of the country penetrated government networks and U.S. defense to gather information.
China , meanwhile , has denied repeatedly that his Government would support the hackers.
"The Chinese have the resources to assign 100 officers to a problem that MI6 or the CIA could assign only five or six, " says former agent counterterrorism Fred Burton , now vice president of the company Stratfor. "They are particularly interested in to attack firms emerging technology defenses, they go after their intellectual property. Seeking to reach the projects at an early stage of development . "
Also, in the country many companies are tied closely to the state, but that proximity did not always translate into Access to business intelligence.
" I do not think that companies in China should assume that everything they write is transmitted directly to their commercial rivals , "says Bremmer . " Not all Chinese companies have connections with the security officers who have access to such information. "
India
India month became last the latest country to ask the maker of BlackBerry , Research In Motion , which gives access to agencies security encrypted data phones. The move, part of a e-security broader , left the country's concerns that the communications of grans afety non moritorizadas could help terrorists plan attacks.
However, many analysts see the risk to Western companies that material commercially sensitive could seep rivals much lower than in other countries.
"I see India as a country heavily tilted in the direction of free market , "says Ian Bremmer . "It's very difficult to state capitalism in a system that is so diffuse and decentralized , even though it may be a temptation for India now starting to compete more directly with China. "
Middle East
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have their own conflicts with Research In Motion the messaging system 's BlackBerry , but have withdrawn their threat to disrupt the service outright.
In general , analysts believe that the highest priority of the states of the Middle East and the Gulf, when it comes to electronic surveillance, is to face activism , political dissent and behavior ' immoral ', rather than commercial espionage .
The expert in information security in the Gulf Ali Jahangeri believes that a potential solution could be to have two different systems of BlackBerry , one for local users, which could be monitored easily , and a safer one for international customers who value confidentiality.
Africa
secret services African are ' low tech 'compared with other parts of the world, although Fred Burton warns that Western executives could face espionage from intelligence foreign countries with good relations with Africa.
This could make Western firms at a disadvantage compared with foreign rivals in countries such as China. For the moment , Nigeria has said it has no plans to seek access to devices BlackBerry .
Experts say African countries that spy on foreign companies using methods traditional continue to managers or purchase information to drivers , cleaners and domestic workers .
Organizations for press freedom in South Africa have accused China of selling surveillance equipment electronic to several authoritarian governments in Africa including included Zimbabwe , which ensures that used to spy on the press and rights defenders human .
Western countries
Most Western countries have powerful intelligence agencies can read almost all traffic domestic and from posts overseas . How to operate depends on the legislation , although this varies and is impossible to say how far it is away.
In any case, the interception of data seems to be the subject of exchange frequent and fluid between the Anglo-Saxon powers dominant , Britain and the U.S. as well as Australia , Canada and New Zealand
A book published this year, ' The Secret State ' , academic Peter Hennessy, says that between 50 % and 80 % of matters intelligence discussed at the weekly meeting of the intelligence committee from the United States .
European states continental often suspect that the Anglo-Saxon powers spy for commercial purposes. All European traffic BlackBerry goes through servers located in the UK or Canada, and so many European governments are reluctant to use it.
Most security experts believe that Western powers occasionally use the services of espionage commercial , but its main purpose is to detect threats and combat economic crime.
In addition , some experts believe that the main threat facing Western companies , even in their own countries, infiltration electronic of powers such as Russia and China.
" The real crown jewels of America is not our government secrets , but our intellectual property , "writes Richard Clarke , former advisor cybersecurity to the White House, in his book ' Cyber War ' .
"China steals results for very little money ( ...) and then takes them to market. The only margin economic enjoyed by the U.S. ( ... ) is disappearing as a result of cyber espionage. "
