Corporate Defense Tech Spies, and Operational Intelligence Challenges

Our nation's defense contractors and the tech universities are crawling with spies, some are pretty good looking as I understand it, and some say don't mind "doing it" for their country. Sure, that sounds nice, but that might be the most expensive trim a graduate student working on a component of a military project, or corporate defense engineer might ever partake. How bad is the problem? It's quite series, okay so let's talk.

There are many issues with keeping secrets and it's not nearly as easy as it used to be now with all of the personal tech items that have digital cameras, Wi-Fi access, or GPS tracking apps. Technology is a big issue, and billions of dollars of proprietary information theft and intellectual property crimes occur every day. Then there is the insidious challenge of keeping operational intelligence a secret, as to where our ships, aircraft, submarines, Special Forces, and military units are or are headed. My thinking is that "operations intelligence" is key because, without it, you don't have the element of surprise.

The other types of intelligence, are also crucial to military tech, and corporate tech - espionage is alive and well and it is said that there are 1,000s of Chinese spies in our nation right now. Of course, we have another challenge in that there are things which are still classified which have been in major news publications, and I am bothered by all the "classifying" of information as intelligence, secret, classified, top secret when the whole world already knows about it. This only slows the flow of communication with a load of bricks on the backs of those battling the bureaucracy while trying to do their work.

What bothers me is so many in the military, government, etc, think they are privy to information when I was a civilian know more than they do. It's laughable. Most ham operators, I am certain to learn more that way, then half of the other stuff they hear. Yes, this is known to all the foreign intelligence spies also. Now then, does that mean we don't need to learn to keep secrets and make it harder on our enemies to gain that information? No, we still must do that.

Indeed, I can remember my dad, and my grandfather telling me when I asked a question; "we don't talk about that" - and we didn't, and when I asked why they told me;

"Because I love my country, I don't want to die, and leave you without a dad, and I don't want any of my friends to die either."

Yes, I always remember that "we don't talk about that" line. What irks me is politicians making a mistake or comment to the media, when they shouldn't, even if intended as misdirection, it's giving out a crumb, a puzzle piece, or a half-shredded document, it only takes a few of those to sink a ship. That's the way I see it. Please consider all this and think on it.