By Joe Tracy, Rich DeSimone and Scott Cornell

Technology has made moving cargo from Point A to Point B so much faster and easier that few people are nostalgic for the bygone era when shipping freight meant manhandling boxes and checking lading lists with a clipboard. Today, cargo is often containerized, microchipped and seamlessly tracked from one shipper to its destination, across oceans and land masses.

Sometimes overlooked, however, is that the same technology that streamlines the process for shippers also has provided thieves with unprecedented opportunities to use technology for their ulterior motives. Containerization has made it easier for criminals to steal millions of dollars' worth of goods at once. In a limited number of instances, satellite tracking capability has enabled hijackers to plan how to move in quickly when a load is most vulnerable.