Past Articles - Foreign Espionage

« back

EEIs for Spies

by Bill Uttenweiler
The Aerospace Corporation
Vandenberg AFB, CA

Intelligence agencies call them EEIs -- essential elements of information. They are the areas their governments have instructed them to gather information about.

Have you ever wondered what EEIs foreign intelligence agencies target? Have you ever wondered how much of your work and your knowledge would interest foreign intelligence officers? The list includes:
* Collection of information relating to defense establishments and related activities of national preparedness.
* Collection of U. S. industrial proprietary economic information and technology, the loss of which would undermine the U.S. strategic industrial position.
* Proliferation of special weapons of mass destruction, to include chemical, biological, nuclear, and delivery systems of those weapons of mass destruction.
* Intelligence activities, including U.S. intelligence and foreign affairs information and U.S. government officials, clandestine foreign intelligence activity in the United States.
* Perception Management and Active Measures activities.
* U.S. critical technologies as identified by the National Critical Technologies Panel.

The specific areas identified by the National Critical Technologies Panel include:

Aeronautics & Surface Transportation
* Aeronautics & Astronautics
* Surface Transportation Technologies

Energy & Environment
* Pollution Minimization, Remediation, & Waste Management
* Energy Technologies

Information & Communications
* Software
* Micro- & Opto-Electronics
* High-Performance Computing & Networking
* High-Definition Imaging & Displays
* Sensors & Signal Processing
* Data Storage & Peripherals
* Computer Simulation & Modeling

Materials
* Materials Synthesis & Processing
* Electronic & Photonic Materials
* Ceramics
* Composites
* High-Performance Metals & Alloys

Manufacturing
* Flexible Computer-Integrated Manufacturing
* Intelligence Processing Equipment
* Micro- & Nano-Fabrication
* Systems Management Technologies

Biotechnology & Life Sciences
* Applied Molecular Biology
* Medical Technology

Most of us don’t think of ourselves as potential targets of foreign spies, but look at the list above. How many of those areas do you come into contact with in your day to day job?

[Webmaster's note: This article was originally written in May 1995 for the VSAC News and the NCMS Channel Islands Newsletter.]