Protecting Your Business Secrets-Learn from the Spooks

Many businesses have secrets.

Often these secrets are so important that disclosure could ruin the business completely. For Swiss banks it used to be the names of the numbered account holders, although the Swiss government has now forced more transparency on the country's banks. For manufacturers of processed foods and sauces it is often the recipe. For software writers it is the source codes, for intelligence agencies it is the codenames and the real identity of their sources in foreign countries. For many businesses participating in competitive international bidding for multi-million dollar projects it is the the price they bid and their copies of the submitted bid.

The reference to intelligence agencies was included deliberately for it is from the world of espionnage that some guidance must be learnt on the subject of protecting secrets.

Disclose company secrets only on a strict "need to know" basis. If a person does not need to know the secret to carry out his job do not tell him.

If secrets must be communicated in writing, either do it by hand or by marking the envelope "Strictly Confidential-Mr X eyes only", and call him to let him know it is coming so he briefs his secretary not to open it. Secretaries, especially if poorly paid or temporary can often be the source of leaks, for money or love.

If you must discuss company confidential business on the telephone, or even by e-mail, devise a system of codenames, known only to yourself and the other party. In the Third World try to avoid telephone calls from or to your hotel room. They are often listened to. Call from your local office or Embassy, or a cellphone call in the street is often safer.

Have a combination lock fitted to your office door, or, if not, you must clear all your papers in to a safe place before leaving the office, even to go to the bathroom. Lock all your documents away, always, before you leave the office for the night, or for prolonged absences.

When travelling by plane put all confidential documents in your carry on baggage, not the check in cases. If travelling by car do not leave confidential documents in your briefcase in the car, alarmed or not. The car may be stolen.

Have a filing cabinet with a combination lock in your office to keep your confidential documents in while you are absent for more than two hours.

Keep a high capacity fine shredder in your office and make sure you empty it yourself and put the contents in a garbage bag. If possible have the garbage bag burnt.

It may be wise to keep some of the very secret stuff at home, or in a safety deposit box at a bank. If you have domestic staff at home, you need the combination safe there as well and take the same precautions as you do at the office.

Alright, this all seems like something from John Le Carré or Tom Clancy but the writer knows from bitter experience that it is necessary, having once had a copy of a highly compettive tender stolen by an employee for a few hours. It was obviously copied elsewhere and then offered for sale to a competitor. Fortunately, the competitor refused to buy it and called the writer. The employee was promptly dismissed and his office and his car was searched before he left. Any further evidence of stolen documents would have lead to a call to the police.

Remember, in a highly compettive business environment some unscrupulous company may try to bribe one of your employees to steal your secrets.