Open Slather on Corporate Secrets
A new trans-Atlantic survey has confirmed what many suspected: staff moving on to another job will often take much more than their payout with them. While you can’t stop employees carrying your company’s intellectual property out in their heads, there is something you can do to protect yourself before they leave. Call in a team of professional experts to show you how state-of-the-art technology and the intricacies of computer forensics can be used to pinpoint what’s being downloaded prior to an employee’s departure. If you see redundancies on the horizon, act well in advance.
Nearly half of the financial sector workers surveyed in New York and London admitted that they would take with them sensitive corporate information if they were sacked. The survey, carried out by management specialists Cyber Ark in November, also showed that just over 40 per cent had already taken sensitive data with them to their new jobs. Just under 40 per cent said they would download such information pre-emptively if they sensed that their position was at risk. Over 30 per cent revealed that they would not hesitate to pass on sensitive corporate data if that were to be instrumental in their gaining employment for friends and relatives. Topping the information-stealing list was customer-related information – which in its own right could contain highly sensitive records – followed by product information and company strategy.
As frightening as these figures are, even more so was the fact that a quarter of the workers surveyed acknowledged that in light of the current economic downturn they felt less commitment and loyalty to their employer. As the UK director of Cyber Ark put it, “employee confidence has been rocked. Many workers are willing to do practically anything to ensure job security or make themselves marketable – including committing a crime.” Not surprisingly, 85 per cent of those surveyed recognised that it was illegal to download company information. Nevertheless, of those who admitted they would steal data some also stated that they would take passwords and any other information they needed in order to continue accessing the network of their previous employer.
Another revelation that should put all corporate managers on alert was the admission by 30 per cent of those surveyed that they would not hesitate to take a look at any redundancy list known to exist and would even be willing to bribe someone they knew in the corporation’s human relations section to gain that access. Equally shocking was the fact that more than half thought it was simpler stealing information this year than it was in 2008. That’s an increase of nearly 30 per cent.
These sorts of results are a salutary warning to company managers to act without delay. An experienced professional team will show you how your network can be monitored in a variety of ways to guard against this threat – one that is likely to continue to increase in the foreseeable future.
