Michele Rigby Assad, a former CIA undercover officer, warns that US companies with valuable technology are underestimating risks from Chinese intelligence operations. Assad, who worked for the CIA from 2002 to 2012 and now trains companies on foreign intelligence threats, says recruitment often begins through seemingly routine channels like conference invitations or paid consulting work.
Recruitment tactics can escalate gradually, Assad explains. Initial requests for reports or insights paid by Chinese contacts can expand to requests for more sensitive information. She notes that vulnerabilities determine whether intelligence services use financial incentives or personal relationships. "People tend to get caught up in the ease with which they get paid for work that feels natural or with minimal risk," Assad said.
The FBI has documented the scale of the threat. In 2020, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau was opening a new China-related counterintelligence case about every 10 hours, with nearly half of its 5,000 active counterintelligence cases China-related. More recently, the FBI facilitated 62 removals of foreign intelligence threats through its China program this year.
Assad's warning follows reports that Nvidia's board is investigating whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted in a foreign intelligence effort. Nvidia said it has no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised and found no evidence that Megaspeed, an Nvidia customer facing export control scrutiny, illegally transferred products.
Assad said companies in strategically important industries need counterintelligence training as a priority. "If you have products that are of interest to the Chinese and you've spent millions or billions of dollars developing that product, you are a target," she said. The FBI notes that recruitment efforts often resemble ordinary business interactions such as a "too perfect" investor, recruiter, or customer request, or a new hire seeking unusual access.