Protecting the Pipeline: Secure Communications Strategies to Thwart Espionage and Safeguard Sensitive Information and Intellectual Property

Don Sortor
Senior vice president
Global Integrity, Inc.

Despite advancements in secure communication technologies, the pharmaceutical industry remains a prime target for attacks, breaches, and espionage. Theft of intellectual property, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and intercepted communications can lead to financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.

However, even with significant investments in enterprise technology, audits, and risk assessments to protect sensitive data and safeguard intellectual property, pharmaceutical companies often overlook a critical vulnerability—how executives and employees communicate, particularly via mobile devices, voice calls, and messaging applications. In an era where business-critical information is exchanged instantly, unsecured communication channels are a significant risk.

Are Your Communications Secure?

Confidential information ranging from proprietary drug formulas and clinical trial results to regulatory filings is considered extremely valuable to third parties, including nation states. Even with strict security policies in place, pharmaceutical companies can be compromised due to weak communication protocols, vulnerable messaging apps, and targeted surveillance.

Executives or employees discussing confidential information in public places, over unencrypted calls, or using messaging platforms with hidden vulnerabilities may unknowingly expose sensitive details to unauthorized third parties. Business travelers are particularly at risk, since their communications can be intercepted through compromised networks, surveillance, spyware, or even covert eavesdropping. Remember, “loose lips sink ships.”

Targeting Intellectual Property

There have been numerous instances of nation-states and other third parties targeting pharmaceutical companies to steal valuable research and development data. For example, Chinese groups have been implicated against major pharmaceutical companies, aiming to gain access to proprietary drug formulas and research findings. This allows for the possibility of those nations to produce similar drugs, at a lower cost, therefore stealing market share.

Attacks on Clinical Trial Data

Sensitive data from clinical trials is highly valuable. Bad actors have been known to target pharmaceutical companies to steal this data, which can be used to gain a competitive advantage in drug development. This type of information is valuable and can give those who steal it a significant head start in drug development.

How Communications Are Compromised

The pharmaceutical industry is a prime target for espionage due to the high value of its intellectual property. Here are four instances highlighting how sensitive data can be compromised:

1. Unsecured Messaging Apps – Many widely used messaging applications have hidden vulnerabilities or backdoors that allow third parties to access conversations. Even apps that claim to be secure can easily be compromised through spyware or unauthorized data collection via “back doors.”
2. Intercepted Voice Calls and Verbal Communication – Traditional mobile networks and VoIP calls are susceptible to interception, especially in foreign countries where corporate espionage is prevalent. Executives and employees discussing sensitive matters in hotel lobbies, taxis, or conference centers may be unknowingly overheard or recorded. Additionally, unhardened mobile devices are susceptible to remote vulnerabilities, including those transmitted via Bluetooth.
3. Compromised Devices – Smartphones, laptops, and tablets used for business communications can be targeted with spyware, allowing a third party to monitor unencrypted conversations and messaging in real time. Business travelers using public Wi-Fi networks or leaving devices unattended are particularly vulnerable.
4. Social Engineering Attacks – Attackers posing as colleagues, journalists, or business contacts may attempt to extract sensitive information from executives through casual conversations.

Clamping Down Communications

Failing to secure communications can lead to devastating consequences for companies like eroding trust among investors, loss of market share, theft of intellectual property, and damaging a company's reputation and long-term credibility. Additionally, security breaches can disrupt critical operations, delay product development, and interfere with supply chains, further jeopardizing patient access to critical treatments.

In an industry where corporate espionage is a persistent threat, pharmaceutical companies must be proactive to secure their communication channels. By adopting encrypted messaging platforms, enforcing strict travel security protocols, and continuously assessing vulnerabilities, executives can safeguard their most valuable assets—intellectual property, proprietary research, and sensitive business information. The ability to communicate securely is not just a convenience but a critical necessity in protecting the future of pharmaceutical innovation.

Recommendations for Pharmaceutical Executives

Pharmaceutical executives must take a proactive, multi-layered approach to securing communications to protect sensitive information and intellectual property and to mitigate the risk of espionage.

Employees from the top down should be trained on the risks of mobile communications, and what steps they can take to secure their devices.

Limit the use of apps that collect personal data or device information and ensure communications are protected with strong encryption that does not have any “back doors.” While essential business apps may be necessary, employees should remain logged out of applications that store sensitive data when they are not in use.

Strengthening device and network security is also important, requiring regular software updates, hardened operating systems, and the avoidance of unsecured public Wi-Fi networks that could expose communications to interception.

Executives must remain informed about the latest threats and adjust security measures accordingly to protect intellectual property and maintain trust with stakeholders. By integrating these best practices, pharmaceutical companies can strengthen their security posture, safeguard their research, and prevent costly breaches.