The Justice Department is getting personal in its campaign to curtail bribery. The Wall Street Journal reports that the US officials are now honing in on individuals involved in bribery cases. A dozen executives and high-level employees of corporations have been criminally charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act so far this year and the list is growing.

It's an interesting strategy because companies have deep enough pockets to absorb massive fines and even the hit to their reputation. That's not the case for individuals. The downside is that companies tend to settle things quickly while individuals will drag things out. Let's see whether or not this strategy succeeds .

And what about bribery cases involving overseas companies? It's particularly pertinent with the Justice Department widening its probe into British defense contractor BAE Systems over allegations of bribery deals with Saudi Arabia, Europe and Africa. Or will the Justice Department put pressure on Britain's Serious Fraud Office to do the same and target the individuals?