The AIRO Investigative Institute offers its professionalism and experience to protect corporate assets, combating illegal activities related to so-called "industrial espionage."

Industrial espionage refers to the activity conducted to illicitly obtain industrial and commercial information among competitors.

The causes that favor the leakage of information are sometimes to be found within the company that falls victim to the phenomenon.
This situation can manifest, for example, with a decline in returns, the loss of a contract, estimates ignored or communicated to competitors, or a lack of interest from partners/employees in protecting corporate interests.
In the era of work flexibility, employee dissatisfaction and the increasing precariousness of staff can indeed potentially offer dishonest competitors a fertile ground in which to weave espionage networks, increasing the possibility of finding, precisely in these individuals, potential connections to exploit to their advantage.

PREVENTION
One of the ways to protect against employee infidelity is certainly to verify their reliability from the pre-employment phase, through appropriate investigative activity, especially if the employee will hold sensitive, strategic roles or will be involved in the knowledge of industrial secrets.
Among the important checks there may be: verification of educational qualifications, verification of previous work experience, the general reliability of the individual, suspicious professional backgrounds, etc.

The personal predisposition of the employee, financial instability, or certain specific personal/family issues can provide further fertile ground for the entrenchment of the phenomenon.

CONTRAST
The investigative activity aimed at identifying and countering such types of illegal phenomena, as well as protecting patents or any industrial secret, is called "counterespionage."
The specific investigative methodology involves deploying resources such as operational experience, expertise and preparation, as well as cutting-edge technological tools capable of detecting and defeating the phenomenon of industrial, financial, and technological/informatic espionage.

The scope of action is that of Corporate Investigations, for which the AIRO Investigative Institute holds the Prefectural License, which will allow the identification of internal and external disloyal individuals and consequently:

  • stop the leak of information;
  • block the transfer of know-how;
  • protect company trademarks and patents;
  • pursue civilly and criminally (through a report to the competent Public Prosecutor's Office) the culprits.

The investigations will be conducted through:

  • informative activities;
  • field operations (static and dynamic observation);
  • the search for any concealed software or hardware aimed at the external transmission of corporate and sensitive data;
  • telephone and environmental remediation;
  • vehicle remediation.

The illicit activity commonly referred to as "industrial espionage" includes certain offenses classified and punished under articles 621, 622, and 623 of the Penal Code.

Provision of art 621 Penal Code
Disclosure of the content of secret documents

Anyone who, having unlawfully become aware of the content, which must remain secret, of others' acts or documents, public or private, not constituting correspondence, reveals it without just cause, or uses it for their own or others' profit, is punished, if harm results from the act, with imprisonment for up to three years or with a fine from one hundred and three euros to one thousand and thirty-two euros.
For the purposes of the provision referred to in the first paragraph, any computer support containing data, information, or programs is also considered a document.
The crime is punishable upon complaint by the offended person

Provision of Article 622 of the Penal Code
Disclosure of professional secret

Anyone who, having knowledge, by reason of their status or office, or of their profession or art, of a secret, reveals it without just cause, or uses it for their own or another's profit, is punished, if the act can cause harm, with imprisonment for up to one year or with a fine from thirty euros to five hundred and sixteen euros.
The penalty is increased if the act is committed by administrators, general directors, managers responsible for preparing the company's accounting documents, auditors, or liquidators, or if it is committed by those who perform the company's accounting audit.
The crime is punishable upon complaint by the offended person

Provision of Article 623 of the Penal Code
Disclosure of scientific or industrial secrets

Anyone who, having come to know by reason of their status or office, or their profession or art, of trade secrets or information intended to remain secret, concerning scientific discoveries or inventions, reveals or uses them for their own or others' profit, is punished with imprisonment for up to two years.
The same penalty applies to anyone who, having acquired trade secrets unlawfully, reveals or uses them for their own or others' profit.
If the act related to trade secrets is committed through any computer tool, the penalty is increased.
The offender is punished upon complaint by the injured party

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