Mobile phones have become a silent weapon in corporate espionage, enabling employees to smuggle out sensitive trade secrets with just a few taps and snapshots. From semiconductor breakthroughs to battery manufacturing processes, major industries have suffered billion-dollar losses due to insider threats leveraging smartphone cameras to bypass traditional security.
This table includes the most significant mobile phone-related trade secret thefts from 2021 to 2024, revealing how these breaches unfolded, their staggering financial impact, and the investigative efforts behind them.
| Date | Industry Sector | IP Compromised | Incident Summary | Estimated Impact | Investigation Source |
| November 2024 | Display Manufacturing | Display Automation Technology | A senior researcher photographed 17 different trade secrets related to display manufacturing automation using a mobile phone, later transferring the data to a Chinese competitor. | Valued at ₩241.2B (~$180M USD); represented up to 10 years of technological advancement | Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office |
| August 2023 | Battery Manufacturing | Secondary Battery Manufacturing Processes | An executive photographed 16 trade secrets including national core technology, monetizing the information through consulting services. | Generated ₩980M through 320+ unauthorized consultations | Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office |
| January 2023 | Semiconductor Manufacturing | CMP Process Technology | Multiple employees from three major Korean semiconductor companies used mobile phones to photograph confidential CMP technology information from computer screens and work phones. | Impacted market valued at ₩4.33T | Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office |
| October 2022 | Semiconductor Manufacturing | Ultrapure Water Facility Design | A key researcher used screen filming to leak facility design technology to a Chinese competitor. | Impact not specified | Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office |
| August 2021 | Automotive | Advanced Driver Assistance Systems | A former researcher photographed technical standard data for AFLS and ACC systems using a mobile phone, leaking autonomous driving technology to a partner company. | Compromised crucial autonomous driving safety features | Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office |
| May 2021 | Chemical Manufacturing | BPA-Free Coating Technology | A former engineer photographed computer screens to bypass security measures, stealing trade secrets valued at $120M with intended transfer to Chinese government-backed venture. | $120M in intellectual property value | Eastern District of Tennessee |
Note: This table represents a subset of notable incidents where mobile phones were used as the primary method of data exfiltration in corporate espionage cases.