INTRODUCTION
By their nature, acts of thievery involving sensitive or confidential
company information (especially when perpetrated by professional operatives) are
not readily detected or at all obvious. This is true even when extensive
amounts of stolen information are involved.
There are simply too many avenues of theft open to both the amateur and
professional operative, for anyone but specialists in the field of Intelligence
Security to be able to monitor -- or even know -- what these numerous avenues
are. Firms both small and large are subject to compromise, and must be vigilant
to insure that their proprietary information and data is properly secured and
insulated from covert forms of theft.
ANALYSIS
Each situation of suspected compromise must be individually analyzed in
detail, and appropriate solutions formulated as required for each unique
business type and its particular set of threat potentials. It should also
be noted that the methodologies employed in business espionage are fluid in
nature, and as such the procedures used for the theft of targeted information
may change or be supplemented with additional or revised designs -- at any time.
(Note: Care must also be taken to NOT alert any individuals who may be
perpetrating – or who may be aiding these acts of business espionage.
Such alerts would be seriously counter-productive to the victimized firm in its
efforts to detect and stop any potential losses. This illustrates the need
for careful and expert threat analysis, and comprehensive countermeasures
planning.)
WARNING SIGNS
Even though no signs may exist, there are certain indicators or clues
which would particularly warrant engaging the services of qualified
professionals to determine if there is in fact a problem which would require
immediate corrective actions. This should of course be done as early as
possible, before your business sustains any serious financial or information
losses.
Here is a list of ten possible indicators of trouble, which would warrant
a comprehensive preventative analysis and a detailed investigative review of
your business situation:
1. A sudden loss or drop-off in business,
not readily or logically explainable.
2. Sensitive or confidential information
files which seem to be regularly missing or misfiled.
3. Unauthorized or suspicious computer
activity, especially in sensitive sections.
4. Key employees suddenly working
weekends, or after hours when others have gone for the day.
5. Suspicious losses or business problems
which coincide with any of the following:
(a) about the same time that new or temporary
personnel were hired,
(b) shortly after the installation of new
telephone equipment, computer equipment, or office furnishings,
(c) after office remodeling or service work,
(d) shortly after bidding on a profitable new
contract -- or after having been awarded one,
(e) after moving into new offices -- or after
the opening of new branch or remote offices, or
(f) after hiring new service personnel such as
for maintenance and/or cleaning.
6. Competitors which seem to be regularly
and closely paralleling your own business plans, product/service introductions,
strategies, company changes or improvements, etc.
7. Unexplained "leaks" of
sensitive and/or confidential internal information (for example, to the general
public, or members of the media).
8. The sudden and unexpected resignation
of one or more key executives, or other valued personnel.
9. The sudden and unexpected denial of an
otherwise expected, routine business loan or extension.
10. Unusual vehicle activity (including
vans & SUV’s) at the workplace or homes of key executives, or vehicles
which seem to be appearing regularly and repeatedly around or near the business
offices and executives’ homes.
SIGNS MIGHT NOT BE OBVIOUS
Like symptoms of illness, evidence of business espionage may be subtle or
completely non-existent (on the surface!), but ignoring the prudent check-up or
precautionary review may allow matters to become serious and progress beyond the
point of survivability.
This is especially true in today’s aggressive and highly competitive
business atmosphere. Companies that are not proactively ensuring
their good health by safeguarding their proprietary information are all but
guaranteed to be in tomorrow’s new crop of "statistics"!
History is full of successful companies who were destroyed by acts of
business espionage.
PLAN AHEAD
If your firm is not currently protected by an in-house intelligence
security program tailored to meet your firm’s business-specific threat
exposures, it would be most prudent to correct this business-plan omission
promptly. Retain the services of a qualified Intelligence Security agency, and
follow the recommendations and countermeasure programs they formulate for your
specific business type, and its associated threat potentials.
Don’t gamble with your firm’s future. If you are successful and
profitable -- or have a sound business plan and a growing clientele base --
there are plenty of unethical types who would greedily profit from your hard
work and ideas, by discreetly stealing your concepts and valuable
operating information.
They do it all discreetly because they do not wish to be caught and
suffer the legal consequences for their illicit activities, and because they
wish to be able to enjoy their ill-gotten gains!
Take steps now to insure that you’re not remembered as the company that
"almost made it"!
Click here to read Phil Guillen's
and Omega's intro page.
