Sticky Fingers: Managing the Global Risk of Economic Espionage

Steven Fink, author of the bestselling " Crisis Management," has written a truly superb book on economic espionage. Using actual real world examples involving Avery Dennison / Four Pillars, Lucent Technologies, and Eastman Kodak, Fink has crafted a practical and easy-to-read book on how companies should protect their most valuable corporate asset - their trade secrets.In the case involving Avery Dennison (the label and adhesives maker), Fink provides a detailed look at what caused a highly respected scientist at Avery Dennison to sell his company's trade secrets to a foreign competitor, namely Four Pillars of Taiwan. The ensuing court trial makes for interesting reading.Using the example of Eastman Kodak and one of its former employees, Fink again discusses the motivation behind selling one's former employers' trade secrets for personal gain. This human element, which Fink writes about with great ease and clarity, is often overlooked in other books on economic and industrial espionage.The chapter on the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 and the types of information worth protecting should be 'must reads' for every business manager. I would like to have seen another chapter on methods that companies can use to protect their trade secrets.All in all, a solid book that provides useful information in an easy to read format.Mark Robinson, author of "Beyond Competitive Intelligence: The Practice of CounterIntelligence and Trade Secrets Protection."