How to conquer the enemy within – employee theft of spreadsheet IP
If you want to know what the biggest danger to a company’s IP is, often all you have to do is look inside the company itself. Naïve,
negligent or disgruntled employees, ex-employees, part-time workers, or even contractors can many times inflict significant damage to a company's spreadsheets, whether intentional or not, and whether detected or not.
But don't take our word for it, just read what these experts have to say about this internal threat:
"Naïve employers who continue to trust their staff blindly without relying on robust security measures are asking for trouble." Prefix IT
"The majority of data breaches (61%) originate from internal sources …" Data Monitor
"Weak password protection gives the illusion that you are safe when you are not." Robert Vamosi, CNET
"Companies are especially vulnerable to internal data theft … because 78% of the workforce owns devices capable of downloading and storing data such as USB sticks …" Prefix IT
"16% of firms were hit by theft of intellectual property … average loss was more than $1 million." James Weir, Dominion Post
"On a PC bought at auction were current customers’ details … login codes … personal details … in 77 Microsoft Excel files." Bernhard Warner, NZ Herald
It used to be that most of the security efforts focused primarily on protecting against unauthorized users, both external and internal – which is why most companies have network security, volume encryption, firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spyware and other safeguards.
But now with employee theft on the rise, even authorized users who have a legitimate requirement to access and use a certain spreadsheet often must still be prevented from copying or viewing some of its confidential contents.
Don't let the enemy within sabotage your company!