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Tough Economic Climate Puts Companies at Greater Risk of Trade Secret Theft

The attached link yields an interesting online piece from COMPUTERWORLD Security. The piece's angle is that tough times create greater risk of loss of trade secrets. They say:

"As it is, one of the biggest threats to corporate data and systems traditionally has come from insiders, who with their privileged access to data and systems, have the potential ability do more accidental or malicious damage than even the outside attacker.

That threat greatly increases at times when companies are laying off staff, cutting back on raises and bonuses, deferring promotions, consolidating operations and outsourcing work to save money . . . .

The increased use of portable devices, such as laptops and handhelds, and removable media, such as USB memory sticks and iPods, has also made it easier for rogue insiders to walk away with large amounts of corporate data. Analysts for sometime have said that it's important for companies to have measures in place for centrally controlling and monitoring which devices can be attached to corporate networks and systems and what data can be downloaded, uploaded and stored on them.

Another category of tools used by companies as a measure against data theft is the so-called data leak prevention tools that keep an eye on network traffic to ensure that protected information doesn't go outside in an unauthorized manner."

These are increasingly difficult times. While we at WombleTradeSecrets aren't sure there is data to support this piece's theory, it makes sense to us.

Full post as published by Womble Trade Secrets Blog on October 15, 2008 (boomark / email).