Company Safeguards

Getting Down to Basics

• Obtain support for information security from senior management.
• Do not waste resources protecting that which does not require protection.
• Identify which information should be protected and for how long.
• If extremely sensitive, material should be hand-carried or transmitted using encryption techniques.
• To dispose of sensitive material, shred or make it unreadable.
• Valuable company information must not be left unattended in hotel rooms. This includes hardcopy and computer disks
• E-mail and voicemail passwords must be protected and changed frequently.
• All sensitive materials must be removed from conference rooms and chalkboards and whiteboards erased after meetings.
• Where possible, conduct background investigations on all individuals with access to sensitive information.
• Obtain nondisclosure agreements from employees, vendors, and others with access to proprietary information.

Taking the Next Step

• Determine the monetary/competitive value of your information.
• Develop information safeguarding guidelines that are practical and user friendly
• Get user input and buy-in when developing an information security program.
• Ask knowledgeable employees what should be protected; they know the market and the competition.
• Form a partnership with the organization's legal and information systems departments to better address information security issues.
• identify and get the cooperation of senior stakeholders in key areas, such as technology, finance, personnel, and marketing.
• Train and periodically remind-from the first day of work through the exiting process--the appropriate people why certain information needs protection and of the guidelines used to protect it. 
• Work with management to decide what access will be given consultants, subcontractors, and joint-venture partners.
• Partner with the legal department and others to develop a process to review employee publications, such as papers and speeches including those to be placed on the Internet.
• Ask new employees if they are obligated under any confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements.
• Use annual performance reviews to remind employees of their obligations.

Always Remember

• The disgruntled employee is the greatest threat to your organization.
• Telephone conversations, both fixed and mobile, are vulnerable to intercept.
• Information regarding the movement of your company aircraft, including routes and destinations, is available for sale on the Internet.
• Be knowledgeable of your organization's physical assets, information assets, and vulnerabilities.