Cyber-theft of business ideas on a global scale

[Commentary] Paint formulas, engine designs and insecticide research don't sound like prime targets for cyber-spies working at the behest of Russia or China. But these examples underline Washington's worry at aggressive Internet spying that is siphoning off U.S. economic and business trade secrets. In a report just released, more than a dozen U.S. intelligence agencies laid out concerns about how easily prized knowledge can be lifted and how determined other countries are to steal American expertise. The chief villains fingered in the report were Russia and China, countries long suspected of sponsoring or allowing online thievery but never named out of diplomatic nicety. The report points up a dark side to the Internet's potential. Praised for giving voice to protesters during Arab Spring, powering worldwide communication and spreading information and ideas quickly, the cyber-world now comes with another feature. It can be exploited by organized hackers, criminals and governments to steal trademark ideas and knowledge on a global scale. This country had better learn to guard itself.