Electronic|JJ theft|NN by|IN foreign|JJ and|CC industrial|JJ spies|NNS and|CC disgruntled|JJ employees|NNS is|VBZ costing|VBG U.S.|NN companies|NNS billions|NNS and|CC eroding|VBG their|PRP$ international|JJ competitive|JJ advantage|NN .|. 
That|DT was|VBD the|DT message|NN delivered|VBN by|IN government|NN and|CC private|JJ security|NN experts|NNS at|IN an|DT all-day|JJ conference|NN on|IN corporate|JJ electronic|JJ espionage|NN .|. 
"|'' Hostile|JJ and|CC even|RB friendly|JJ nations|NNS routinely|RB steal|VBP information|NN from|IN U.S.|NN companies|NNS and|CC share|VB it|PRP with|IN their|PRP$ own|JJ companies|NNS ,|, "|'' said|VBD Noel|NNP D.|NN Matchett|NNP ,|, a|DT former|JJ staffer|NN at|IN the|DT federal|JJ National|NNP Security|NNP Agency|NNP and|CC now|RB president|NN of|IN Information|NNP Security|NNP Inc.|NN ,|, Silver|NNP Spring|NNP ,|, Md|NNP .|. 
It|PRP "|'' may|MD well|RB be|VB "|'' that|DT theft|NN of|IN business|NN data|NNS is|VBZ "|'' as|IN serious|JJ a|DT strategic|JJ threat|NN to|TO national|JJ security|NN "|'' as|IN it|PRP is|VBZ a|DT threat|NN to|TO the|DT survival|NN of|IN victimized|VBN U.S.|NN firms|NNS ,|, said|VBD Michelle|NNP Van|NNP Cleave|NNP ,|, the|DT White|NNP House|NNP 's|POS assistant|NN director|NN for|IN National|NNP Security|NNP Affairs|NNP .|. 

The|DT conference|NN was|VBD jointly|RB sponsored|VBN by|IN the|DT New|NNP York|NNP Institute|NNP of|IN Technology|NNP School|NNP of|IN Management|NNP and|CC the|DT Armed|NNP Forces|NNP Communications|NNP and|CC Electronics|NNP Association|NNP ,|, a|DT joint|JJ industry-government|JJ trade|NN group|NN .|. 
Any|DT secret|NN can|MD be|VB pirated|VBN ,|, the|DT experts|NNS said|VBD ,|, if|IN it|PRP is|VBZ transmitted|VBN over|IN the|DT air|NN .|. 
Even|RB rank|NN amateurs|NNS can|MD do|VB it|PRP if|IN they|PRP spend|VBP a|DT few|JJ thousand|CD dollars|NNS for|IN a|DT commercially|RB available|JJ microwave|NN receiver|NN with|IN amplifier|NN and|CC a|DT VCR|NNP recorder|NN .|. 
They|PRP need|VBP only|RB position|NN themselves|PRP near|IN a|DT company|NN 's|POS satellite|NN dish|NN and|CC wait|VB .|. 
"|'' You|PRP can|MD have|VB a|DT dozen|NN competitors|NNS stealing|VBG your|PRP$ secrets|NNS at|IN the|DT same|JJ time|NN ,|, "|'' Mr.|NN Matchett|NNP said|VBD ,|, adding|VBG :|: "|'' It|PRP 's|VBZ a|DT pretty|RB good|JJ bet|NN they|PRP wo|MD n't|RB get|VB caught|VBN .|. "|'' 
The|DT only|JJ way|NN to|TO catch|VB an|DT electronic|JJ thief|NN ,|, he|PRP said|VBD ,|, is|VBZ to|TO set|VBD him|PRP up|RP with|IN erroneous|JJ information|NN .|. 

Even|RB though|IN electronic|JJ espionage|NN may|MD cost|VB U.S.|NN firms|NNS billions|NNS of|IN dollars|NNS a|DT year|NN ,|, most|JJS are|VBP n't|RB yet|RB taking|VBG precautions|NNS ,|, the|DT experts|NNS said|VBD .|. 
By|IN contrast|NN ,|, European|JJ firms|NNS will|MD spend|VB $150|NN million|CD this|DT year|NN on|IN electronic|JJ security|NN ,|, and|CC are|VBP expected|VBN to|TO spend|VB $1|NN billion|CD by|IN 1992|CD .|. 
Already|RB many|JJ foreign|JJ firms|NNS ,|, especially|RB banks|NNS ,|, have|VBP their|PRP$ own|JJ cryptographers|NNS ,|, conference|NN speakers|NNS reported|VBD .|. 
Still|RB ,|, encrypting|VBG corporate|JJ communications|NNS is|VBZ only|RB a|DT partial|JJ remedy|NN .|. 

One|CD expert|NN ,|, whose|WP$ job|NN is|VBZ so|RB politically|RB sensitive|JJ that|IN he|PRP spoke|VBD on|IN condition|NN that|IN he|PRP would|MD n't|RB be|VB named|VBN or|CC quoted|VBN ,|, said|VBD the|DT expected|VBN influx|NN of|IN East|JJ European|JJ refugees|NNS over|IN the|DT next|JJ few|JJ years|NNS will|MD greatly|RB increase|VB the|DT chances|NNS of|IN computer-maintenance|NN workers|NNS ,|, for|IN example|NN ,|, doubling|VBG as|IN foreign|JJ spies|NNS .|. 
Moreover|RB ,|, he|PRP said|VBD ,|, technology|NN now|RB exists|VBZ for|IN stealing|VBG corporate|JJ secrets|NNS after|IN they|PRP 've|VBP been|VBN "|'' erased|VBN "|'' from|IN a|DT computer|NN 's|POS memory|NN .|. 
He|PRP said|VBD that|IN Oliver|NNP North|NNP of|IN Iran-|NNP Contra|NNP notoriety|NN thought|VBD he|PRP had|VBD erased|VBN his|PRP$ computer|NN but|CC that|IN the|DT information|NN was|VBD later|RB retrieved|VBN for|IN congressional|JJ committees|NNS to|TO read|VB .|. 
No|DT personal|JJ computer|NN ,|, not|RB even|RB the|DT one|CD on|IN a|DT chief|JJ executive|NN 's|POS desk|NN ,|, is|VBZ safe|JJ ,|, this|DT speaker|NN noted|VBD .|. 

W.|NN Mark|NNP Goode|NNP ,|, president|NN of|IN Micronyx|NNP Inc.|NN ,|, a|DT Richardson|NNP ,|, Texas|NNP ,|, firm|NN that|WDT makes|VBZ computer-security|JJ products|NNS ,|, provided|VBD a|DT new|JJ definition|NN for|IN Mikhail|NNP Gorbachev|NNP 's|POS campaign|NN for|IN greater|JJR openness|NN ,|, known|VBN commonly|RB as|IN glasnost|FW .|. 
Under|IN Mr.|NN Gorbachev|NNP ,|, Mr.|NN Goode|NNP said|VBD ,|, the|DT Soviets|NNPS are|VBP openly|RB stealing|VBG Western|NNP corporate|JJ communications|NNS .|. 
He|PRP cited|VBD the|DT case|NN of|IN a|DT Swiss|JJ oil|NN trader|NN who|WP recently|RB put|VBP out|RP bids|NNS via|IN telex|NN for|IN an|DT oil|NN tanker|NN to|TO pick|VB up|RP a|DT cargo|NN of|IN crude|NN in|IN the|DT Middle|NNP East|NNP .|. 
Among|IN the|DT responses|NNS the|DT Swiss|JJ trader|NN got|VBD was|VBD one|CD from|IN the|DT Soviet|JJ national|JJ shipping|NN company|NN ,|, which|WDT had|VBD n't|RB been|VBN invited|VBN to|TO submit|VB a|DT bid|NN .|. 
The|DT Soviets|NNPS '|POS eavesdropping|NN paid|VBD off|RP ,|, however|RB ,|, because|IN they|PRP got|VBD the|DT contract|NN .|. 

