In a world where corporations have been known to play dirty, it may be wise to ensure that your own practices are legal and legit says William D King. This includes how you handle employees who act suspiciously or may even be working for the competition.
If you happen to notice any of these signs in an employee, it could mean that they are spying on your company’s information systems:
Unusually high adaptability
Businesses now rely heavily on IT equipment and network infrastructure to store important data and run their day-to-day operations. If one is good with computers, he/she can easily infiltrate information systems just by simply using tools available online. Once inside, if the person has access credentials (e.g., username/password) for certain systems, that person can steal trade secrets or customer lists. This makes them all the more dangerous if they are already using their access credentials to log into your network.
When suspicious behavior is noticed, it’s best to take the initiative by having an arrest warrant issued against this person before he/she can do any damage.
Employee uses his/her work computer mostly at home
If the company allows employees to have company computers in their homes, it may be easy for someone who works there to use them for personal purposes while simultaneously downloading sensitive data from the company.
That is why some companies might ban employees from bringing gadgets with them when they leave on vacation or that are not assigned to them by management. Some companies also implement the use of web monitoring software.
Employee’s workstation is protected by a difficult password
If an employee uses a password that is so hard to guess, it may indicate that this person has something to hide. If you notice any suspicious behavior – such as accessing company computers from unsecure locations – then it might be wise to call in security experts and have them check on what’s going on and whether or not they can find out anything about this person accessing sensitive information.
Employee is secretive and always online at night
When I worked at a bookstore, there would always be people who came in to browse the shelves and make notes. It was pretty obvious that they were not typical customers. I figured out quickly that these people actually worked for other bookstores – it turned out to be a common practice among book retailers explains William D King.
It’s tough watching someone going through your store making notes on what you have – but is it illegal? Is that person committing theft by taking ideas from your inventory onto their own inventory list? In short, is this competitor “snooping” or stealing?
In general, as long as the idea being is just an idea, then no law is being broke. However, if you can prove that actual works have been copied, then you have a case.
To prove that works have been copied. You need comprehensive documentation of the similarities between your products and those of your competitors. This is where things get complicating – because documenting these similarities requires time, effort, and expense.
It’s easier to avoid having problems in the first place.
Here are some ways that you can maintain control over the creation of your products without spending too much time or money:
- Don’t allow visitors at trade shows alone
- Take along someone who knows enough about your product line to answer questions about it
- Don’t let anyone take photographs or make drawings of your products
- Don’t give out any information about company plans for future products
If you suspect that someone is copying your work. You may be able to get a preliminary injunction against them says, William D King. This means that your competitor can’t distribute the product. For a while and must stop production until it goes to trial.
You can also seek to collect money from your competitor. If they damage or harm you in some way (i.e., lost business). However, this is difficult to prove and should not be count on as part of your overall strategy.
Remember: It’s better to spend time and effort putting good products out there. TYhan worrying about what others are up to.
Conclusion:
Snooping is not illegal if it’s just snooping or spying. If you suspect that your work has been copied, then take the necessary precautions. To avoid having problems in the first place explains William D King.
If someone does copy your work. Make sure you have enough evidence to back up any claims you make against them. But again…it’s better to spend time and effort. Putting good products out there than worrying about what others are up to.