Source: US FBI
As scientists race to develop these technologies, hostile nation-states stealing research and trade secrets is a key risk.
Some nation-states, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), seek to fast-track getting these advanced tools through illegal or otherwise illicit technology transfer—for instance, illegally taking technology from companies or academic institutions and transferring it to the adversary government for its own use.
When it comes to economic espionage, the government of China is using every possible avenue to steal U.S. companies’ innovation and is engaged in a well-resourced and systematic campaign to steal our intellectual property, compromise the integrity of our academic institutions, and put our companies out of business in pursuit of the “innovation-driven” economic growth highlighted in their Five-Year and Made in China 2025 strategic plans.
More specifically, the PRC’s Five-Year Plan identifies major technologies China wants to develop within that period, such as semiconductors, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, new energy, biotechnology, aerospace, robotics, and the devices and software that contribute to the manufacturing process of any of these technologies.
In March 2023, China and Russia agreed to deepen their scientific and other cooperation, benefiting their respective militaries’ technology research goals, including nuclear programs.
Investigating and preventing economic espionage and illicit technology transfer to adversarial governments are among the FBI’s most important work, as the United States’ economic and national security are inextricably linked. Stolen innovation is not just the theft of one idea—it could also result in lost jobs and stolen opportunities for American workers, decreased national power, and reduced leadership in the industries hostile nations seek to dominate in the decades to come.
The FBI and our NCITF partners have developed security partnerships with technology developers, investors, and end-users to thwart adversaries’ efforts to steal quantum innovations. To aid in keeping the quantum field safe, we are increasing outreach to government research agencies, private sector companies, and academic institutions to help bolster the industry’s cybersecurity defenses and to coordinate any counterintelligence investigations associated with quantum technology.
Partnerships are vital—the threat from foreign intelligence adversaries has become increasingly complex as they employ an all-tools approach that includes non-traditional collectors, economic and academic influence, and other asymmetric intelligence operations. As a result, no single U.S. counterintelligence agency can fully understand or mitigate these operations on its own. The NCITF, which comprises over 45 government agencies, was born out of this idea. A component of its mission is to protect the quantum research and development landscape, covering all efforts across and within government, academia, and the private sector.
Within NCITF, the Quantum Information Science Counterintelligence Protection Team (QISCPT) is an interagency unit tasked with protecting the quantum information science technology developed by the U.S. and like-minded nations. This team was created as a result of the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, which established a coordinated federal program to provide and support accelerated quantum research for the economic and national security of the U.S.
The QISCPT puts the FBI and our intelligence and security agency partners within arm’s reach of representatives from all government agencies—not just the law enforcement and intelligence communities—and in contact with key players in the quantum information science and technology ecosystem. This access allows us strategic agility and deep insight into the strengths and vulnerabilities of the field, allowing us to form a nuanced threat picture and positions us to help protect vital U.S. innovation and security.
The FBI and our NCITF intelligence and security partners understand the value and importance of a diverse workforce, especially in research and innovation environments. International collaboration in emerging technology fields is a boon to U.S. industry and academia. The issue arises when talented foreign researchers, investors and end users are exploited by adversary governments to commit illegal or otherwise illicit acts. It is our mission to stop innocent people from being victimized by an adversary nation state—no matter the nationality of the person transferring the information.