Join us for the KCSI Seminar on Commercial Espionage with Alex Bomberg, the Chairman of UK-based Intelligent (UK Holdings) Limited.
Event description:
Commercial espionage presents a significant and growing threat to businesses worldwide, with organisations facing increasing risks from both external actors and insider threats. This presentation, "Commercial Espionage: The Academic Theories and the Truth," delivered by Alex Bomberg, explores the intersection of academic criminology and real-world corporate espionage.
The discussion will centre on two key theoretical frameworks: Broken Windows Theory and MICE Theory. Broken Windows Theory, widely applied in criminology and urban policing, suggests that visible disorder and minor infractions can create an environment conducive to more severe misconduct. When applied to corporate security, this theory highlights how lax security protocols, unchecked minor breaches, and a culture of complacency can invite more serious espionage threats.
MICE Theory—standing for Money, Ideology, Coercion, and Ego—provides a psychological framework for understanding the motivations behind insider threats and espionage. This theory is particularly relevant in corporate environments, where employees, contractors, or business partners may be susceptible to financial incentives, ideological beliefs, coercion by external actors, or personal ambitions that drive them to compromise sensitive information.
By integrating these academic perspectives with real-world case studies, the presentation will expose the true scale of commercial espionage, examining how businesses become targets and what can be done to mitigate risks. Practical countermeasures will be discussed, including proactive security policies, personnel vetting, behavioural analysis, and corporate counterintelligence strategies to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and effective security practice.
Through this presentation, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the hidden vulnerabilities within corporate environments and learn how academic theories can be applied to prevent and combat commercial espionage in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Speaker's bio:
Alex Bomberg is the Chairman of UK-based Intelligent (UK Holdings) Limited group of companies. Alex founded International Intelligence Limited in 2002 and has worked on some of the largest litigation cases in the past two decades, including KAC v IAC, a case born out of the 1991 invasion of Kuwait and the theft of commercial aircraft by Iraqi forces.
A Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management and Member of the Security Institute, Alex has lectured on espionage at Facebook and for F1 Racing teams at several universities across Europe.