FREE online courses on Corporate Espionage - What can be done about it - Communications Related Countermeasures

Monitoring Internet Activity

• Systems (hardware/software, vulnerabilities)
• Codes can be cracked
• Email provide subtle hints as to future strategy, policies and products.
• Regular browsing can tell you a lot about how others see your company: much of the information can be traced back to the company itself!
• You also get to see which employees are surfing too much.

Monitoring Technical Vulnerabilities

Technical vulnerabilities are best combated by operations procedures:

• Known vulnerabilities allow hackers to steal crores of rupees worth of information every year.
• Yet, updating for (1) vulnerabilities (as they crop up) and (2) better system configurations, would have deterred many a hijacker.
• Establish regular maintenance procedures, screen for new vulnerabilities and plug them.
• Subscribe to Internet advisories e.g., Best-of-security's mailing lists, which provided updated lists of system vulnerabilities as compiled by actual users. This allows concerted action, and may even invoke help from software producers themselves.

Off-PABX Direct Phone Line Limit Talks

• A few direct phone lines should be kept for sensitive subjects, as huge information losses can occur via PABX/ phone taps/ bugs.
• Keep talks brief and to the point
• Use predetermined code, wherever possible. Don't use people's names, use predetermined nicknames

Minimize Use of Cellular Cordless Phones

Anything you say on cellular/ cordless phones can be heard by anyone with right equipment. Use a pay phone for sensitive calls. Besides, you can give your location away to anyone with the right access to the cell net provider.

Don't Talk About Work Outside the Office

 

Though it's natural to talk about work after office hours, actively discourage this trait. The walls have ears, and news-hounds/ reporters are always hanging out in 5-star hotel coffee shops or lobbies for scoops. Revenue intelligence and surveillance is always highest at such places. Sensitive issues like large Indian corporates and MNCs funding ULFA ‘protection' rackets, first leaked out through the rumor grapevine.