What type of cybercrime did Medicing Inc. engage in by hiring a hacker to steal product information?

The scenario describes Medicing Inc. hiring a hacker to steal product information, which directly relates to the illegitimate acquisition of proprietary data. This act falls under intellectual property theft, as product information typically includes trade secrets, patents, or proprietary technologies that are legally protected as intellectual property.

Intellectual property theft involves the unauthorized use or acquisition of such information, which can have significant implications for the company whose data has been stolen. This crime not only harms the company’s competitive edge but also undermines the principles of innovation and fair market competition.

Espionage, while it may involve unauthorized information gathering, is more commonly associated with governmental or corporate surveillance activities aimed at gathering key strategic information. Cyber defamation pertains to damaging someone's reputation through false information, which is not relevant in this context. A data breach generally refers to unauthorized access to data with the intent to expose or steal personal or sensitive information, which does not specifically encapsulate the hiring of a hacker for competitive advantage as highlighted in this scenario.