Cyber Espionage and its Impact

The targeted information varies depending on the spying organization and its intention. In most cases, the data spied on includes internal data such as operations and research as well as marketing and competitive intelligence. For nations, cyber espionage ranges from military operations to secret information of a given nation. The development, implementation, and projection of technology determine how effectively organizations and nations can succeed in their operations. With internet technology, cybercrimes are diverse, and nations need to focus on different areas of possible attacks (Makridis & Dean, 2017). Attacks on such systems lead to political conflicts and social instability (Gandhi et al. The losses include reputational damage, loss of trust, repair costs, and financial penalties. There is increasing complexity and sophistication of malware leads to the loss of all computer information and its network.

As the government or affected organization keeps rebuilding the systems, they are distracted by investigation into the data loss. The loss of customer personal information, passwords, financial data, as well as budgets and supplier information can affect the company and customers economically. There are other international laws that govern armed conflict and diplomatic relations during peacetime; however, these laws are not applicable in constraining espionage. Most countries have measures to confront espionage under their national laws. However, the enforcement of such laws faces challenges because the elements of the offense require the involvement of the foreign government involved. Cyber espionage has adverse effects on the victim country and serious defense strategies need to be put in place. Possible ways to counter espionage include deterrence and international cooperation.