D: North Rhine-Westphalia Intelligence Service refers to risk of economic espionage

Category: Nachrichten
By: M. Schroeder - 2B Advice GmbH - the privacy benchmark

In its current Intelligence Service Report for 2009, the Intelligence Service of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia refers to the danger of economic espionage, whose victims may not only be large companies, but also small and medium-sized companies with highly innovative products.

According to estimation of the intelligence service, the economic crisis is leading to an increasing number of attacks on the know-how of companies. The increase in layoffs accompanying the economic crisis has elevated the risk that, as an insider threat, such employees forward know-how to external parties for compensation. Such risk is also being aggravated by the fact that companies are foregoing investments in necessary security measures. However, a risk is also be to been in employees who are not acting deliberately, but, out of comfort or because they are not aware of them, do not observe the security guidelines of a company or, through talkativeness, recklessly allow internal matters to be leaked. As a possible counter-measure, the intelligence service recommends that companies compile a comprehensive security concept.

 

Economic espionage is no longer solely aimed at technical know-how, but is increasingly serving the purpose of copying functioning business models, even those of suppliers. There are overlaps for the protection of personal data where professional secrets refer to personal data. Likewise, the handling of employee data in a manner conforming with data protection ensures that economic espionage is made more difficult. The technical and organizational measures to be taken within the framework of data protection have, in practice, positive effects on the overall protection of a company, and also comprise the valuable know-how of a company. A security concept developed by the data protection officer may serve as the basis for a comprehensive security concept, even regarding technical know-how.

 

Data protection is an important component for decreasing commercial risks for a company. As such, companies should actively support the data protection officer with his or her work. Risks may be recognized and effective counter-measures with a company may be developed only in this manner. -In addition, within the framework of training courses, the data protection officer may also strengthen employee awareness of possible risks in data processing.

 

Source: North Rhine-Westphalia Intelligence Service Report, 2009, p. 25 et seq. and p. 239 et seq.

 

Link: www.im.nrw.de/sch/41.htm

 

(926 times viewed)