Data Security in a Recession

There are quite a few articles in the news today about the vulnerability of corporate data in light of the downturn in the economy. One of the highlights was that former employees may try to use their downloaded information to try to secure a new position.

• More than half the workers surveyed who admitted to already downloading competitive corporate data said they would use it as a negotiating tool to secure their next post because they know the information will be useful to future employers.

This does not surprise me because one of the first things mentioned when a salesman is looking for a job is that he has a “Roladex of information of names and addresses”. It is still common that when a Senator or Congressman leaves office, they quickly get jobs with defense and government contractors, because of their contacts.

I recall hearing about a former VP at a big storage vendor that got a new job recently and was using his contact list to sign up new resellers, and also hiring sales people that had a great list so that they could quickly ramp up sales.

When a company hires a new CEO, they typically look for someone who can bring with them the trust relationships that are required to move a company forward.

I don’t think this is a new story, perhaps the technology has changed, but when folks leave they take data with them.

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