Final answer:
The unethical and illegal action of gaining unauthorized access to corporate information is known as industrial espionage, which involves stealing trade secrets or other confidential information. The correct option is 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gaining unauthorized access to corporate information via employing techniques that cross a legal or ethical threshold is called industrial espionage.
Industrial espionage involves acquiring a company's sensitive, proprietary, or classified information without permission, often for the benefit of a competitor.
This practice is illegal and unethical, similar to other forms of corporate misconduct like trade secrets theft, predatory pricing, and misrepresentation of facts.