FAS

DSS Views Foreign Collection of U.S. Technology

01.03.07 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

Foreign efforts to gather information on defense-related U.S. technologies are characterized in a 2006 report (pdf) by the Defense Security Service (DSS) Counterintelligence Office.

“In 2005, DSS identified 106 countries associated with suspicious activities based on U.S. cleared defense industry reporting, up from 90 countries in 2004.”

Information systems, lasers, sensors and aeronautics were among the technology areas most frequently targeted by foreign intelligence.

The unclassified DSS report is posted on the DSS web site, but is password-protected to block public access. A copy was obtained by Secrecy News.

See “Technology Collection Trends in the U.S. Defense Industry,” Defense Security Service, June 2006 (33 pages, 2.5 MB PDF).

The report was first reported by Bill Gertz in the Washington Times today. See his “Foreign spy activity surges to fill technology gap.”

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Report
Research Agenda: Estimating the U.S. Government’s Return-on-Investment on Scientific Research & Development

The United States federal government invests nearly $150 billion annually in research and development. However, the supporting evidence generates wildly different estimates depending on the methods and available data. 

06.26.26 | 5 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Report
What We Recommend for Building Better Digital Service Teams, Initiatives, and Results

The digital government field has an opportunity to build a more responsive and resilient government by pushing into new frontiers, with new tools, approaches, and even organizations that don’t exist yet. This is the time for radical experimentation, delivery, and exploration.

06.25.26 | 23 min read
read more
Clean Energy
Blog
Fixing a Broken Market: A Plan for Cheaper Freight, Cleaner Air, and American Truck Leadership

Americans are paying too much for almost everything, because the United States has long treated its trucking industry as an artifact to be preserved rather than as an opportunity for innovation.

06.16.26 | 9 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
Report
SOURCE CODE: A Policy Agenda for Fostering Trust and Fairness in AI

These ideas aim to advance the detailed policy solutions needed to foster public trust and implement fairness in the adoption of AI across diverse domains, from healthcare and government benefits to rural access, education, and worker protections.

06.11.26 | 17 min read
read more