Corporate Espionage: It’s an alluring and dangerous sounding phrase, like something straight out of a spy movie. Surely, you think, the mysteriousness of the phrase means that it is something that couldn’t happen to your business. Surely it’s the stuff of Hollywood? But Agent SHRED, the information safety expert at Proshred® Security, is here to share with you the truth about corporate espionage. Despite its mysterious name, corporate espionage is something much more common, but no less dangerous, than it may seem. Corporate espionage is, in fact, the act of attempting to obtain the trade secrets of a company by dishonest or illegal practices.

Now that’s not so uncommon, is it? If Slugworth can try to steal candy secrets from Willy Wonka, your competitors could be trying to learn and steal the secrets that have led to your business’s success. Preventing corporate espionage before it happens is by far the best strategy for maintaining your competitive edge. Instituting multiple of these security safeguards will support the continued privacy of your company’s valuable data and practices.

·Evaluate your business’ practices and information and decide which information could classify as “trade secrets,” including client lists, research results, records, employee information, supplier agreements and other information on how you run your business. This will help you to keep track of all the valuable information your business holds and protect  it accordingly.

·Dispose of Information Securely with secure business document shredding services that will keep your confidential paper documents away from competitors and identity thieves.  Dumpster diving is still a perfectly legal action and also one of the most common ways for your business’s private information to leak to the public.

·Routinely Dispose of Old and Unnecessary Documents and Computer Hardware by having a secure business document shredding company come to your business at  scheduled intervals and destroy all unnecessary documentation that could be useful in the hands of your competitors. Documentation, both private and public, can build up quickly in  a business and taking care of it regularly through an on-site document shredding company will keep your office running smoothly and securely.

·Institute Securities, both digital and physical, to prevent other businesses or hackers from infiltrating your business. Security cameras stationed at entrances can go a long way in  identifying potentially dangerous visitors. Up to date security software can prevent viruses and leaking of information. Also auditing employee computer usage can help track major  and potentially treacherous changes like high volume data downloading.

·Train employees to understand procedures for conveying important or confidential information and its destruction. They should also recognize and be alert and prepared to handle  possible contact from competitors and identity thieves through bogus emails or social engineering ploys which involve manipulating individual staff members for access to  information.

Agent SHRED knows that building a comprehensive defense system against corporate espionage can take time and effort. However one of the easiest ways to get started is to call on your local secure business document shredding company to reduce possible information leaks. The experts at Proshred® can offer your business the skill necessary to handle all your documents respectfully and securely to begin fortifying all of your business’s interests today.

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