Luke Bencie - Among Enemies: Counter-Espionage for the Business Traveler

In this age of international terrorism, overseas business travelers constantly have to worry about the possibility of becoming victims. They avoid certain countries, stick to familiar and relatively safe venues and carriers, and even rely on hired security people to protect them. But there is another activity that increasingly threatens overseas travelers. It may not be as potentially lethal as terrorism, but it is just as real, quite costly and much more likely to cause them harm.

It is economic espionage.

I spent over 30 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. There, I headed up major criminal investigations. I oversaw the FBIs activities overseas, and I recommended staff levels and procedures necessary to protect our citizens abroad. So, I fully comprehend the risks involved. These predators who conduct economic espionage both in the service of foreign governments and as independent operators also kidnap for ransom, steal trade secrets and commit a host of other crimes, all aimed at business travelers and their companies. This is happening at a time when American firms are looking to expand their role in the global economy, particularly in developing countries.

My familiarity with this situation has intensified since I left the bureau. I have served as corporate security director for a Fortune 500 financial concern with a large international presence, and I have I taught homeland security and international terrorism courses as an adjunct professor. In these roles, as well as in my private life, people who travel for business often ask me about their safety overseas; likewise those who travel for pleasure. So do parents of students abroad. They all consistently seek advice on how to avoid becoming victims or, worse, casualties.

These concerns are well founded, but there are ways to reduce the dangers. Among Enemies: Counter-Espionage for the Business Traveler serves as the perfect resource for beginning this process for helping to prevent a personal or business catastrophe.

Luke Bencie, the author, has worked in the U.S. intelligence community as well as in the world of private defense contracting. He has developed a reputation for consummate professionalism, for being keenly knowledgeable in his area of expertise, and for possessing a genuine concern for Americans traveling abroad.

I worked with Luke after I left the government. Over the years, I have come to know him personally, and I have seen how his extensive international experience allows him to approach the subject of economic espionage from a skilled and sensible point of view. I regard him as the ideal person to write this book.

Luke explains why people conduct economic espionage, who the people are that commit these crimes, and most important how they gain proprietary information. He arms travelers with simple safeguards to protect both themselves personally and the secrets of the businesses they represent.

For example, todays international travelers routinely carry an array of electronic devices from laptop computers and iPads or other digital tablets, and their associated data-storage devices, to smart phones and HD-video cameras. Luke dedicates a chapter to protecting these devices from cyber intrusions and remote data theft. His real-life examples vividly demonstrate how commonplace these crimes can be. They could easily make you stop and say, Hey that could have been me! He also explains why it is just as important to be on guard in the United Kingdom or France as it is in a competitive or outright unfriendly country, such as China or Iran.

For these reasons, you should consider Among Enemies a must-read if you travel overseas, whether on business or even to gain an understanding of the hidden threats you could face.

When Luke described his idea of writing a practical book for business travelers that was easy to read but would give solid lessons in counter-espionage, I was surprised such a book had not been written before but I immediately agreed it was a fabulous idea. Knowing Lukes background, it struck me that with his qualifications and attention to detail he could educate travelers better than anyone about what could happen to them or their company if they let their guard down.

Recently, I heard a government official speaking on public radio about the rise in economic espionage and related prosecutions in the last few years. The official said cases had more than doubled in 2012, apparently because many countries and companies are using economic espionage to save time and money on research and development.

That revelation might come as a shock to people who do not understand what economic espionage is or dont think they could ever be targeted by it. They also might underestimate the value of what they know and who knows what they know. But individuals dealing in economic espionage make it a point to learn who each traveler is and what information he or she might possess. They also attempt to learn what devices these individuals are carrying and how to gain access to them. I know this, and so does Luke Bencie. He has dealt with economic espionage firsthand, and he uses his valuable experiences as examples throughout the book.

Whether you are heading overseas for the first time or travel on a regular basis, you owe it to yourself to read Among Enemies . Fortunately, it is an easy read. It offers simple rules, it makes sense, and it will educate you about how economic espionage works and how to counteract it it will help you lower your risk of becoming a victim.

A friend of mine recently traveled to a European capital with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They checked into a five-star hotel and were offered a complimentary massage. They set up a time for the session the day they arrived. During that session, thieves entered their room and took their jewelry, credit cards and passports even items locked in the room safe. What should have been a memorable vacation turned into a nightmare.