Which act addresses economic espionage involving trade secrets and criminal use of encryption?

Which act addresses economic espionage involving trade secrets and criminal use of encryption?

• A. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986
• B. Economic Espionage Act of 1996
• C. COPPA
• D. PCI DSS

Answer: (B)

The question tests which law specifically targets stealing and exploiting trade secrets as economic espionage. The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 is designed to criminalize the theft or misappropriation of trade secrets and to penalize actions intended to benefit a foreign entity or the national economy. It treats trade-secret crime as a distinct offense, with penalties such as fines and imprisonment, reflecting the serious economic impact of such acts. While other laws address related issues—like unauthorized access to computer systems or privacy protections for children, or industry security standards—none of them focus on the criminal theft or misappropriation of trade secrets for economic gain the way this act does. If encryption is used to conceal wrongdoing in the context of stealing trade secrets, the misappropriation itself is the central crime addressed by this act, with additional charges potentially arising under computer-crime statutes if applicable.

The question tests which law specifically targets stealing and exploiting trade secrets as economic espionage. The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 is designed to criminalize the theft or misappropriation of trade secrets and to penalize actions intended to benefit a foreign entity or the national economy. It treats trade-secret crime as a distinct offense, with penalties such as fines and imprisonment, reflecting the serious economic impact of such acts. While other laws address related issues—like unauthorized access to computer systems or privacy protections for children, or industry security standards—none of them focus on the criminal theft or misappropriation of trade secrets for economic gain the way this act does. If encryption is used to conceal wrongdoing in the context of stealing trade secrets, the misappropriation itself is the central crime addressed by this act, with additional charges potentially arising under computer-crime statutes if applicable.