Strategic Intelligence for the Future 2

7 Information and Economic Security

When we practice economic intelligence, we are soon struck by the ease with which information about competitors can be acquired. It is usually available to anyone who knows how to look for it, understand it and imagine or anticipate their adversary’s reactions and in order to take competitive advantage from it. We therefore understand why security has become one of the three main domains of economic intelligence. While everything within legal limits is being done to learn about competitors, competitors must likewise do all they can to prevent others from learning about them to create a disequilibrium in their favor. It is even more important as in the hyper-competitive environment that characterizes today’s markets, some firms do not hesitate to turn to illicit means to find what they are looking for. To this can be added the detection of attempts to influence public opinion given that the more time has passed, the more power a rumor has and the more it becomes a virtual reality believed by more people. We must now add, in cybersecurity, means of protection against all kinds of attack; these are becoming more and more costly and are becoming the foremost source of losses in business. For all these reasons, although some managers do not understand this, it is vital to take account of security problems and to tackle them, as a business that cannot protect itself is destined to fail over time.

7.1. Security

7.1.1. Physical security

Ensuring the ...