Intellectual property theft by employees is an ignored risk

Research from Prefix IT shows that lax management attitudes have allowed a culture of data theft to flourish in the British workplace. A picture of poor processes, policy creation and communication shows that management practices are badly out of step with today’s office morals; 60 percent of workers admit to theft of confidential documents, customer databases, business contacts and sales leads.

Data theft is endemic, yet only 7 percent of managers believe their companies have been affected by the issue and 29 percent of managers say the topic is not recognised at board level. This climbs to 50 percent in SMEs. Few employees are aware of security measures or company policies that prevent workplace theft and the majority of workers do not believe it is ‘wrong’ to steal from the office.

Graeme Pitts-Drake, CEO of Prefix IT, said: “Whilst trust in staff is laudable, it is professionally negligent not to protect company assets appropriately through policy and technical means. Failing to communicate with staff about un-acceptable activities is tantamount to endorsing theft."

The Prefix Security Report includes the responses of over 1,000 UK workers. Part one of the report was published earlier in the autumn, with results from part two being released last week. These show that:

• 73 percent of workers are unaware of any special security measures to prevent workplace theft;
• 44 percent of employees are unaware of any policy explaining what can and cannot be taken home;
• 63 percent say there are no restrictions on using personal portable devices eg USB memory sticks in the workplace;
• 63 percent of workers believe employees ‘think nothing of taking things from the workplace’;
• 30 percent of workers (37 percent of men) believe sales leads/business contacts are rightfully theirs.

Those leaving a job are a particular threat; 65 percent consider taking data including sales leads. This figure rose to 72 percent amongst the 45-54 year age group and although lowest amongst employees of large SMEs (501- 1,000 employees) it was still 58 percent. Generally, 36 percent admitted they might download data to help in a new job.

Only 30 percent of managers said that guarding against data theft is a ‘key priority for the business’. In the SME sector this figure was markedly lower; 22 percent for small SMEs (51-250) and 28 percent for mid-sized SMEs (251-500).

Mid-sized SMEs have the biggest problem, as 36 percent of employees ‘have no issue’ with taking leads and database information. Graduate trainees pose the biggest threat; 55 percent believe there is no moral dilemma involved.

Over a quarter (27 percent) disagreed that ‘taking things from work was the same as stealing’. This response was strongest amongst 16-24 year olds (49 percent) and graduate trainees (41 percent). Supporting the theory that office theft is not only widespread but accepted practice, more than half (56 percent) of respondents agreed that ‘companies expect a certain amount of things to go walkabout’. The belief that office theft is accepted by employers was very strong amongst 25-34 year olds (63 percent) and those working in London (64 percent).

http://www.prefixit.com

•Date: 29th Nov 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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