INSA Paper Warns of Growing Insider Threats to U.S. National Security Technologies
Arlington, VA (June 5, 2025)—The Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) has released a new white paper, Countering Insider Theft of National Security Technology (PDF), which examines the growing risk of insider-enabled intellectual property theft targeting U.S. national security technologies. The paper outlines how foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, are increasingly using cyber and human intelligence operations to gain access to sensitive innovations developed outside the traditional classified space.
The authors find that academic institutions, startups, and small businesses, often at the forefront of innovation in dual-use technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, face heightened risks of insider exploitation. These organizations may lack the security infrastructure and threat awareness found in cleared government or industry settings, making them attractive targets for adversaries seeking to acquire U.S. intellectual property.
To help close these gaps, the paper offers a series of recommendations to strengthen safeguards across the broader innovation ecosystem, including the formation of a multi-agency task force, improved coordination among government agencies, and support for organizations operating outside the cleared environment.
“Protecting our innovation base requires a broader, more inclusive approach to insider threat mitigation,” said INSA President Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg. “This paper provides practical recommendations that can help government, academic, and industry leaders reduce risk while continuing to foster collaboration and technological progress.”
