THE RISE OF 'SEX WARFARE' IN SILICON VALLEY

In recent months, espionage experts have warned of a disturbing new trend: foreign intelligence operatives using romance and seduction to harvest tech secrets from Silicon Valley.

- TDG NETWORK

As one news report describes, an engineer "met her at a conference... years later, be realized she was part of a carefully orchestrated intelligence operation". In effect, agents (often described as "attractive young" women) pose as colleagues or partners to win the trust of tech professionals.

"Chinese and Russian operatives are reportedly using attractive women to infiltrate tech companies, seduce employees, and steal trade secrets.". Intelligence officers even say some spies marry their targets and have children, embedding themselves for long-term access.

Analysts have dubbed this tactic "sex warfare" - a form of human intelligence (HUMINT) designed to exploit emotional vulnerabilities in one of the world's most open industries.

The reaction has been widespread. Even tech figures are talking about it. For example, SpaceX boss Elon Musk responded on social media with a wry quip: "If she's a 10, you're an asset." He was reacting to reports that "female spies are waging 'sex warfare' to steal Silicon Valley secrets,"referencing a Times of London investigation. Musk's joke underlines how this story has captured the public imagination-yet the underlying threat is serious, Silicon Valley's culture of openness and networking is, paradoxically, a vulnerability.

Counterintelligence veterans note that American business culture offers "an asymmetric advantage" to foreign spies, because U.S. law and norms bar the same kind of honeytrap tactics that adversaries freely employ.