Kidnappings, street crime, organized crime, road traffic accidents, resistance to foreign-ownership by state-owned enterprises, medical problems (i.e., Avian flu) are but a few intangible considerations revealed by past site selection assessments.

Current Intel cyber and threat assessment reports a continued rise in cyber security risks. The ease of technical surveillance is also increasing, which causes IP and regulatory concerns to remain high.

Immediate benefits have been realized from the cyber and threat agent analysis. For example, this analysis can help us determine if risks or threats are driven by the private sector, or are sponsored by governments or the military. The private sector can be driven by a desire to be more competitive with multinational companies to avoid having their own small to midsize companies less competitive due to US influence or the influence of other multinational companies. Governments can be driven by a desire to be more competitive on a global scale to help their own economies improve. The military of course can be driven by a desire to utilize US technology to not only upgrade their own weapons, but also to sell their own military technology to other countries at a much reduced rate, or to sell arms to countries that the US might not sell to.

Government- or military-sponsored activities tend to be better financed than those of the private sector. To complicate matters further, once the wrongdoer is identified, the judicial system may not always be in Intel's favor. IP protection is obviously a big concern and Intel aggressively pursues this with the legal establishment in restricted countries, especially in ones that are known to have weak IP protection laws.

Past assessments and analysis have indicated that the values and culture of a country can be a challenge and must be understood. Intel's business ethics may sometimes be diametrically opposed by certain individuals, groups, or suppliers. Failure to understand other cultures can be costly, bribes being a prime example. Bribes are viewed differently in Asian, Latin, or Eastern European cultures. They can be seen as a necessity in not only getting things done, but also in building the necessary relationships with the right people. If mishandled this can result in "losing face" on one end and impacting business on the other. Consequences of not giving bribes can be felt from construction to food services to obtaining permits, and therefore can easily double the time required to complete the simplest of tasks. However, one of Intel's key corporate principles is to not offer or accept bribes or kickbacks under any circumstances.

Misplaced or stolen laptops can sometimes be an issue also. In some countries it is a common practice for employees to sell their laptops to supplement their own income.

What is called plagiarism or copyright infringement in the US is viewed as borrowing from the best or copying with pride in some countries. Attempts to educate a local culture with Intel's business culture can be difficult but it has to be done. Patience is required: change seldom happens overnight. Cooperation between security and business groups moving to restricted countries helps Intel to be proactive in managing risks and threats.

Disciplinary actions can also vary given that in some regions (e.g., Asia) there are laws in place that can make termination of employees difficult. Each case can vary depending on the circumstances, but Intel works with all parties involved to come to an amicable solution.