Sienna Technologies sold products internationally, but we were surprised when we received an inquiry from Russia. This was at a time when Mikhail Gorbachev was planning to visit the Twin Cities.
We followed up by sending them some basic information and plenty of questions. Not answering any of our questions they replied by stating that they will have a representative in the United States in the coming weeks and would like to visit our facilities. At that time, the representative will address our concerns and oh by the way he will need complete copies of our blueprints, parts lists, and software source code as required by his superiors. We could be rest assured that this was ordinary operating procedure.
Meanwhile we got a call from the FBI alerting us to the possibility of espionage. When we told them about the preceding events, they assigned Special Agent Kevin Rickett to our case. He wanted us to continue to engage with the Russians such that they would visit Sienna and entrap themselves. The FBI would set up surveillance in our facility, on our persons and establish a secure perimeter of agents and vehicles around the building.
My partner thought that our plates were full enough trying to launch the company without the distraction and risks of busting an international ring of spies. So we declined to participate.
A few years later (mid 1990’s) the FBI launched the InfraGard program to deal with a Russian government funded plan to gain access to classified, sensitive and emerging technology in private sector companies.