Data protection - Protect and Survive.

(From Financial Director)

Byline: Malcolm Wheatley.

The debate over data security has moved on over the past few years.

Not long ago, for example, intrusions from hackers were seen as the greatest threat to business data security. But while hackers undoubtedly pose a threat, unless your data comprises information that has a monetary value, such as credit card details, there's little point stealing it - which isn't to say that 'information leakage' doesn't occur. It does, but the culprits are more often than not employees past and present.

Not only do employees have better access to their employer's data, they also have a greater understanding of its value, says Andy Clark, director of Inforenz, a Horley-based information forensics consultancy. Sometimes, he says, the clues when data has been stolen are fairly obvious; for example, when an employee starts living a lifestyle more lavish than their salary can accommodate.

Employees departing to another organisation, too, are sometimes tempted to take along details of, for example, customers, contracts and prices.

Digital fingerprints left on employee desktops leave traces of the crime, he says, but a better tactic is to 'salt' data with dummy records so that leakage is obvious. "Salting is simple and effective, but not enough companies are doing it," says Clark.