Read up on some of the literature published a decade or so ago. Industrial espionage and economic espionage (more so) were the big things in the 1990s because w

Read up on some of the literature published a decade or so ago. Industrial espionage and economic espionage (more so) were the big things in the 1990s because we had all this intelligence apparatus left over from the Cold War with no idea what to do with it. The biggest risks to developed countries actually did seem to be economic (remember the power of the Deutsch mark back in the day). After 9/11 and the subsequent London bombings the security agencies found their new targets and funding sources, they didn't need to cast around to find justifications to still exist. Short of actual estimates of how much economic or industrial espionage is going on outwith military equipment or massive economic indicators (EU bailout discussions) I'd be amazed if much was being done. GCHQ, SIS and MI5 do not have unlimited budgets and massive staffs to throw at every problem.