An increase in company privatizations has caused the cases of corporate crimes to increase as well. Corporate crimes can include bribery among public officials, embezzlement of public funds, stock market manipulation, environmental damage resulting from negligence, etc [1]. They are committed by an individual or an official corporate entity to organizational gain.
These crimes can be difficult to find due to how they are accomplished. Often individuals follow formal avenues and legal routes so their crimes will go undetected. They may use anti-forensic techniques such as data hiding, encryption, and hidden channels. With anti-forensic methods, they attempt to hide traces of their criminal activities.
Corporations must take additional steps to ensure their company information is kept private because corporate crimes can be so difficult to detect and address. There are some measures corporations can take to better secure their company information such as…
1. Limiting access to information
- Companies can limit an individual's access to confidential information based on their duties. Granting user access to certain materials on a need-to-know basis can ensure that fewer employees in the company are viewing any highly sensitive data. This is also helpful in cases where company information is leaked because it will help to narrow down possible suspects involved in the data breach. Less time will be wasted looking into employees who had no part in the data leak but have to be investigated simply because of their ability to access the information.
2. Implementation of non-compete clauses
- Non-compete clauses are made to protect a company's trade secrets and intellectual property [2]. This clause also prohibits an employee from leaving and starting their own business with data gained from the company. Having a non-compete contract signed and in place allows a corporation to seek legal action against an employee if the contract is violated. They can conduct an investigation and also sue for damages. Digital forensics can be used in these investigations to obtain digital evidence of the information leak and provide a record to be used in legal proceedings.
3. Investing in digital forensics software
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Digital forensics software can give corporations access to a variety of information and data circulated through their company by employees in order to ensure trade secret protection. This information can take the form of messages, emails, call histories, web browser history, web-based data storage, printer, copier, and photographs.
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The electronically stored information can be accessed in a quick and organized manner by forensic investigators. Ensuring that any leak of data can be detected and addressed. With digital forensic software, fraud and economic crimes can be detected and any further harm to the company can be stopped.
ADF digital forensic software is built to enable corporate security investigators who conduct digital forensic investigations to identify, recover, and analyze Electronically Stored Information (ESI) quickly and easily. With ADF software companies can protect themselves from insider threats, brand theft, intellectual property theft, or corporate fraud. Companies of all sizes benefit from this collection of digital evidence to prove what happened when it happened, and who was involved. ADF tools can process and analyze smartphones, tablets, computers, external drives, drive images, and other media storage such as USB flash drives or memory cards.
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