It’s a federal crime to steal trade secrets. However, that doesn’t stop thieves from successfully making off with billions of dollars in intellectual property (IP) annually. Companies may work hard to prevent outsiders from infiltrating their organizations, yet the greater danger is generally internal. Here’s how to identify your business’s corporate espionage vulnerabilities and prevent employees from taking advantage of them.
The greatest corporate espionage risk: bad and good intentions
The greatest corporate espionage risk is internal. Employees with access to trade secrets may take that information with them when they leave your company. Or they can pad their paychecks by selling information while still employed. But not all employees who share IP have bad intentions. In some cases, they may not realize they’re passing it on....