Employee intellectual property (IP) theft has grown to be a major issue in a society going more and more technologically advanced. The dangers to private data have increased as more businesses choose digital collaboration and remote work. Employee misbehavior involving sensitive firm data—that is, insider threats—may cause significant financial and reputation harm. This article looks at sensible ways businesses may protect their intellectual property, stop internal threats, and react fast when needed. By means of practical illustrations and Lauth Investigations’ services, companies can better grasp how to safeguard their most valuable assets.
The Rise of Insider Threats
Though they are nothing new, the frequency of insider threats has risen as the workplace has changed. According to a Ponemon Institute analysis as of 2023 insiders account for around 60% of all data breaches. This alarming figure shows the extent of the risk businesses. Employee access to private company data increases the likelihood of misuse—intentional or inadvertent. Particularly remote work has grown the digital footprint and given additional chances for internal data leaks.
A Rising Concern in Remote Work
Companies have less control over the physical security of their workspaces if workers operate from home or another off-site venue. While remote work solutions include cloud storage, shared document files, and collaboration platforms boost employee comfort of work, they also enable simpler access, transfer, and occasionally inappropriate data access. In these situations, insider dangers are more elusive to find. Standard security protocols might not be enough. This change emphasizes the need for revised, aggressive plans to protect intellectual property.
Real-World Example: Tesla’s Insider Threat Case
Tesla made news in 2023 when a staff member allegedly stole confidential data on its Autopilot program. Allegatively trying to sell the company’s valuable data to a rival, the employee downloaded private files. Through its internal security monitoring systems, Tesla discovered the individual’s actions and set out an alert when massive data access and transfer without appropriate authorization occurred. This situation shows the rising danger of insider threats and the need of having robust digital monitoring measures in place.
Strategy 1: Establish Strong Access Controls
Tight access limitations are among the best strategies to safeguard intellectual property. This means making sure intellectual property and sensitive data are only accessed by authorised staff.
Limiting Access Based on Roles
Least privilege should be the guiding concept for design of access limitations. Employees should only be able to access the data they actually need to carry out their job obligations. A software engineer working on a particular module, for instance, shouldn’t have access to a product’s whole source code. Businesses can drastically lower the likelihood of internal data theft by cutting the number of persons having access to private information.
Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication
By guaranteeing that staff members access critical data only after passing through several security gates, multi-factor authentication (MFA) offers still another layer of protection. MFA allows one to prevent unwanted access even in cases of compromised login credentials for an employee. Companies can demand, for instance, a second authentication method—a phone-based code or biometric verification.
Regularly Reviewing Access Permissions
Access control cannot be fixed once-only. Regular audits help to guarantee that staff members still have access to the data they have been assigned. Review and alter access rights as responsibilities evolve or staff members go. Lauth Investigations provides services to audit internal security policies of a firm, therefore assisting to find any weaknesses in access restrictions and suggest fixes.
Strategy 2: Educate Employees on IP Security
Stopping insider risks depends mostly on employee training. Lack of knowledge causes many breaches when staff members unintentionally reveal intellectual property.
Conduct Regular Training and Awareness Programs
Businesses should set up continuous training courses to inform staff members on the dangers of intellectual property theft, phishing campaigns, and safe handling of private information. Employees should also be informed of the policies of the company on IP protection and the results of violating these policies. Frequent employee testing via fake scenarios or simulated phishing attempts can also support strong security practices.
Promote a Security-First Culture
Beyond instruction, businesses have to create a security-first culture whereby staff members personally commit themselves to protect private data. This entails pushing staff members to document possible weaknesses they come across or suspected behavior. Employees are more likely to follow security procedures and be alert when they realize that safeguarding intellectual property is a corporate top concern.
Example: The Microsoft Insider Theft Incident
Microsoft had a security hack in 2023 in which an employee—who had received training on safeguarding private data—was accused of copying proprietary software code to sell it to a third party. The staff ignored the security systems even though they were in existence. This situation emphasizes the need of combining an informed workforce with effective security technologies. Although Microsoft found the problem fast thanks to training, more strict use of security policies may have completely avoided the intrusion.
Strategy 3: Utilize Digital Monitoring and Analytics
Preventing insider threats mostly depends on proactive monitoring of employee behavior. Although this approach seems invasive, it is necessary to find and react to possible security breaches before they do major damage.
Monitoring Digital Footprints
Particularly when employees access, download, or share private company data, companies should use tools tracking staff members’ digital behavior. This can cover tracking email exchanges, cloud storage use, file transfers, and even actual USB drives. These digital monitoring technologies help companies identify odd activity, including viewing vast amounts of data outside of an employee’s purview.
Setting Up Alerts for Suspicious Activity
Automated alarms can be configured to inform IT teams anytime dubious activity takes place. For instance, the technology can instantly set off an alarm for inquiry should an employee access private files or download vast volumes of data outside of business hours. This fast reaction helps to stop data theft or compromise before it is too late.
Example: The Google Employee Data Theft Case
A Google employee was discovered in 2023 to have been accessing private product data unrelated to their line of employment. Google was able to stop the staff member from distributing the data to outside parties by flagging the unusual access through the company’s digital monitoring systems. This example shows the need of making investments in digital monitoring instruments to guarantee data protection.
Strategy 4: Conduct Background Checks and Vet Employees
A key chance for businesses to stop internal risks is the employment process. Reducing the danger of IP theft can be achieved by first making sure staff members are reliable before allowing access to private information.
Background Checks for New Hires
Before recruiting staff, especially for positions involving access to private data, extensive background checks are absolutely vital. This can cover verifying references, past employment histories, and criminal records. In high-risk situations, businesses could also wish to look closer at the prior behavior of an applicant.
Vetting Contractors and Temporary Staff
Before being granted access to private information, even contractors and temporary personnel should be thoroughly screened. Many businesses ignore this phase since they believe that only full-time staff members represent a hazard. But, especially if they have access to corporate networks or private data, contractors could potentially have the chance to pilfer or use intellectual property.
Lauth Investigations’ Role in Employee Vetting
Lauth Investigations offers services designed to assist businesses in screening possible employees or contractors and evaluating their dependability. Background checks, fraud investigations, and other ways of confirming the integrity of people with access to private business data constitute part of their offerings.
Conclusion
Businesses in the digital environment of today must first give protecting intellectual property from insider threats top importance. Companies have to be proactive in protecting their most important assets as remote work and growing dependence on digital technologies call for. Strong access limits, staff education, digital monitoring, and extensive background checks help companies reduce IP theft risk. Real-world situations such as the Microsoft and Tesla ones show how crucial strong security systems are. Professional investigative services, such those provided by Lauth Investigations, assist businesses to increase their defenses and guarantee that their intellectual property stays safe from insider threats.
An internal audit has appeared on the impending schedule and it’s time to make sure that your house is in order. After all, your procedures are about to be combed through in depth and faults and flaws brought to the surface. When faced with this prospect, it is vital to take proactive action, thinking through and identifying potential weak areas. But not only that; the internal audit is a collaborative process that can either reward or reprove. Preparations are key, and a skilled corporate investigator can help you lay the foundation for a prosperous outcome. Let’s examine the process a little more closely.
Aligning With the Objectives of the Internal Audit Process
Internal audits are conducted in an effort to minimize risk and optimize business operations. This will include things like confirming legal compliance and adherence to company policies, safeguarding various assets, preventing fraud and other forms of white collar crime, and ensuring the strength and efficiency of practices.
To yield positive results from this process, it is key to understand the objectives and risks of the undertaking in relation to your unique enterprise—failure to do so will potentially see you blind-sided by obligations following the internal audit’s results. If the behaviours of your team have diverged dramatically from policies, procedures, and business goals, knowing this ahead of time can help you prepare for what’s coming, as well as enabling you to contribute to the course of the internal investigation’s conclusions and follow up.
Crucially, many internal auditors are trained on measuring the metrics that dictate whether standards and requirements are being met, however they may not be experts on the intricate realities of your particular field. Even armed with the goal to steer you toward compliance and help you achieve higher standards moving forwards, their input may make unwelcome waves.
Your tactical preparation for this assessment can help you work with them to meet the targets in question, rather than allowing conclusions drawn to side-track your department’s progress. Who better to help you prepare than a corporate investigator able to approach the internal audit process with comprehension of both perspectives?
Help In Developing An Effective Audit Program
If, in contrast, you are an executive charged with developing an effective internal audit program, drawing upon expert assistance can be invaluable. After all, an internal audit is only as effective as its scope is comprehensive. A corporate investigations specialist from Lauth Investigations International will offer essential guidance in curating an effective strategy.
Extensively versed in designing and conducting corporate audits and investigations, we understand the necessity to develop bespoke internal audit solutions that not only ensure that every ‘i’ is dotted and ‘t’ crossed, but also that operations, assets, integrity, and—crucially—corporate culture are elevated through the auditing process. Our veteran corporate investigations and auditing specialists can assist all branches of business in preparation ahead an internal audit, helping them ensure that they have shone a light into every dark crevice and corner, and are armed with the information and strategies required to make the process as painless and constructive as possible.
For companies aiming to establish or reinvent their internal audit processes, we can both aid in the development of tailored auditing practices as well as offering comprehensive Corporate Culture Audits that assess every facet of an organization’s operations in order to propel it towards its full potential. To discover more about internal audit support from the Lauth team, contact us today.
In every single industry—and on worksites across America—the everyday efforts, creativity, and innovation of entire teams have to stay within the lines of a certain rule book. External laws and regulations, internal policies and procedures, and an overarching Code of Conduct is something that every employee is subject to, and straying can have serious consequences. If these words echo as eerily familiar due to current circumstances, then this article is for you. Preparing for a worksite compliance investigation can make the ground beneath your feet feel unstable, but knowing what to expect, and crucially, what actions to take next will help you reclaim firm footing.
Getting Ahead of a Worksite Compliance Investigation
Compliance investigations come in several different forms, depending upon what triggers them, and the industry in question. If a non-compliance complaint lands on your own desk, you may need to quickly mount an internal compliance investigation alongside considering whether you need to report the incident to any external party or authority. If the complaint was made externally—by your client or any other party—then you may receive notice that you’re going to be subject to an external compliance investigation.
If the latter is the case, you might feel tempted to have a Chicken Little moment. But take heart, because the sky is not falling in just yet. The only course of action is to get ahead of the issue, and take strategic action fast. However, this needs to be well thought out, because in certain cases, the consequences of non-compliance can be severe. Launching an internal investigation when you’re already under the microscope can draw an accusation of bias, which may undermine honest actions, casting them as an attempt to protect yourself against justified liability.
The best possible collaborator at this time is an external and impartial third-party investigator who can help you get the lay of the land, uncover the facts, gather and compile evidence, and aid you ahead of any possible fall out. Not only will a skilled corporate investigator be able to adeptly draw the puzzle pieces together ahead of a formal compliance investigation, but they’ll be able to coordinate with your legal council, and even provide witness testimony should the need arise.
If your compliance investigation remains internal in nature, then don’t write off the third-party investigator’s skill set here either. That hot potato of a word—bias—can mean all sorts of legal trouble if a complaint is serious enough, and being able to demonstrate that your investigation and findings are flawlessly impartial can be a reward that only reveals its true value a little further down the road.
The Complexities of a Compliance Investigation
While some forms of worksite investigation can be handled internally—by your HR team or even by leadership—others are complex enough to warrant seeking expert guidance. Failures of compliance can mean worrying legal ramifications for companies large and small. As such, a properly trained investigator is ideally poised to ensure that what follows will be cost effective, thorough, and free from costly mistakes.
Whether you are the one who will act upon the findings of your investigator, or whether you’ll be able to hand that meticulously documented file to an authority figure, having confidence that your own compliance investigation was by the book can be invaluable. Calling on the assistance of an impartial corporate investigator from Lauth Investigations International allows total peace of mind that all evidence has been gathered, documentation has been correctly and chronologically compiled, confidences honored, interviews conducted with the proper technique, and no legal missteps made. So, take the sting out of the tail of your impending worksite compliance investigation with our industry-tailored services. The Lauth Investigations team are ready and waiting to answer your questions, so reach out for a no-obligation consultation today.
Nursing home abuse is a heinous crime in which residents of long-term care facilities are subjected to neglect, abuse, and dehumanizing treatment at the hands of their abusers. One of the most undoubtedly vulnerable swaths of the populations are the elderly and infirm. People who have lived long, full lives, but now require extra help with caring for themselves. Some families are fortunate enough to be able to afford in-home care for their aging parents, grandparents, or loved ones. However, many families have to face the difficult decision to place their elderly and infirm loved ones in a nursing home, hospice, or another type of long-term care facility.
The statistics surrounding nursing home abuse are alarming, even under the most forgiving of parameters. A 2012 study found that around 85% of assisted living facilities reported at least a single case of abuse or neglect on behalf of caregivers. That’s not counting cases that go unnoticed or unreported. The decision to place loved ones in a long-term care facility is already a difficult one, with hand-wringing families left wondering whether or not their loved one will be cared for well and how they will fare inside. Families may spend weeks, if not months, exercising due-diligence and vetting potential care facilities in order to ensure that their families get the best of care. However, sometimes families can still be caught off-guard when allegations of nursing home abuse arise after they’ve placed their loved ones.
Nursing home abuse can take multiple forms, and it’s important that families and professionals educate themselves in order to be advocates for the residents. These are problems that are often caused by operational issues within the facility itself, such as poor hiring processes, understaffing, improper training, and burnout amongst caretakers. There is also a myriad of socioeconomic and financial factors that can further exacerbate these problems. That is why it’s important for facility administration and families alike to know the signs of nursing home abuse so there can be swift and diligent intervention.
Physical abuse: Nursing home staff directly and physically abuse residents with acts like, pushing, kicking, pinching, or even manipulating their medication. This type of abuse is typically the easiest to recognize, but is also the greatest threat to their person.
Signs: Bruises, burns, welts, bedsores, pressure ulcers, cuts, lacerations, broken bones, head/dental injuries, dehydration, malnutrition, repetitive bouts of illness or infection, poor personal hygiene.
Emotional abuse: This type of abuse includes demeaning and humiliating patients, and also keeping their friends and family at arms-length in order to isolate them from other points of contact that might expose abuse. Despite the lack of physicality in this type of abuse, affected residents can develop severe anxiety and depression as a result.
Signs: Anxiety, depression, change in personality, exhibition of aggressive or violent behavior, substance abuse, suicidal ideation/actions.
Nursing home neglect: Abuse doesn’t have to be direct in order to have harmful effects. When residents are left unattended, typically to disorganization and understaffing.
Signs: bedsores, malnutrition or dehydration, unchanged clothes and filthy bedsheets, new or worsening infections.
Sexual abuse: However horrifying it sounds, residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities can also be the targets of sexual battery or abuse. Nursing home residents are some of the most vulnerable in the population, and are more likely to be abused due to their inability to fight back, articulate consent, and inability to disclose.
Signs: Bruises or welts around the genitals, unexplainable STDs, inappropriate physical contact with staff.
Financial abuse: For a myriad of reasons, residents of nursing homes might be unable to manage their own finances. This makes them a prime target for scammers and abusers. Putting aside the petty theft that can take place where caretakers take small items of value from their rooms, financial abuse can also occur on a much larger scale in the form of check fraud.
Signs: Strange bank transactions or charges, new credit cards or bank accounts in the resident’s name, or a new change in power of attorney.
When it comes to finding proof of nursing home abuse, it can be tricky. Depending on the facility, faculty and administration may be uncooperative with families who are accusing their staff of abuse. They can stonewall requests for records or meetings with administration, or cover up for staff members who have a history of abusing patients in order to prevent legal action. A private investigator could be the perfect professional to investigate claims of nursing home abuse. Private investigators are licensed by the state and have access to verified databases comparable to that of law enforcement that allow them to run background checks on subjects in the investigation, from administration to caretakers. They can also look up the facility’s litigation records to determine whether or not they have a history of litigation with the families of residents. Private investigators can go undercover to infiltrate the facility and document the unseen factors such as living conditions, treatment of residents, and the oversight of administration.
If you have need of a private investigator for a nursing home abuse investigation, call Lauth Investigations International today for a free quote on our investigation services and learn how we can help your family get clarity in crucial matters. Call today at 317-951-1100 or visit us online at www.lauthinveststg.wpengine.com. When it comes to the safety of your loved ones, you deserve facts, not fiction.
Why Private Investigators Have an Advantage Over Police
For months, the family of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez wondered if they would ever have answers in his mysterious disappearance. On the day he disappeared, he was left in the care of his father’s girlfriend, Emily Glass. In the missing persons report, Glass told investigators on February 17th, 2018, she saw Lucas playing in his room around three in the afternoon. She then took a shower and fell asleep. When she awoke around six in the evening, Lucas was nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement in Wichita investigated for months, unearthing no credible leads into Lucas’ disappearance. Months later, on May 24th, locals were shocked after a private investigator blew the case wide open by informing law enforcement Emily Glass had led them to the decomposing remains of little Lucas under a nearby bridge. Why would Glass, after dealing with law enforcement for months, only then break her silence regarding her knowledge of the little boy’s body? The answer is as simple as this: Private investigators have advantages law enforcement do not when it comes to conducting concurrent independent investigations in criminal and missing persons cases.
So how is a private investigator’s approach different from the approach of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency? The first thing to consider is the caseload of most law enforcement agencies. From the moment an initial report is made, in both criminal and missing persons cases, law enforcement have the meticulous and overwhelming task of gathering evidence to build a case that will secure justice on behalf of the victims and the state. Crime scenes need to be mined for evidence by medical examiners and crime scene technicians. Detectives and other investigators need to canvass witnesses—sometimes dozens of people—in the area who might have seen or heard something. Now imagine the workload of one case multiplied by 40 or 50 times. An audit conducted in Portland Oregon in 2007 reviewed law enforcement data from Portland itself, and nine other surrounding cities, to conclude the average caseload for a detective in Portland was a median of 54. This is compared to a 5-year average of 56 cases. Knowing statistics like these are similar in law enforcement agencies all across the country, it’s easy to see how the progress of cases might slow to a crawl. Agencies are overwhelmed, and this is where private investigators have the advantage. Private investigators may only handle one or two cases at a time, giving them their full focus and attention. Wichita law enforcement might have faced similar challenges of an overwhelming caseload when it came to investigating Lucas Hernandez’s disappearance. An article released by the Wichita Eagle in mid-December of 2017 revealed, as of publication, there were still ten homicides from the year 2017 remaining unsolved as the new year approached.
Another compelling advantage for private investigators might initially sound like a disadvantage: Private investigators have no powers of arrest. It seems counter-intuitive that a private investigator may use the same tools as law enforcement, ask the same questions, and may even come to the same conclusion as law enforcement without the ability to arrest a suspect for the crime. However, the case of Hernandez showcased exactly why a private investigator—and their inability to arrest—broke the case wide open. Jim Murray of Star Investigations told KMBC News in Kansas, “We’re less of a threat sometimes to people that we’re talking to because we have no powers of arrest,” said Jim. “We can’t arrest them.” This could explain why Emily Glass finally led a private investigator to Lucas’s body, because she knew they could not put handcuffs on her in that moment.
Unfortunately, family members and locals will never have the truth about what happened to Lucas. In the wake of the private investigator’s discovery, autopsy reports were found to be inconsistent with what Glass told both police and the PI, but before the People could build a case against her, Glass was found dead from an apparent suicide. However, were it not for the efforts of the private investigator, Lucas’s father may never have had answers in his son’s disappearance.
Carie McMichael is the Communications and Media Specialist for Lauth Investigations International, writing about investigative topics such as missing persons and corporate investigations. To learn more about what we do, please visit our website.
Unfortunately, family members and locals will never have the truth about what happened to Lucas. In the wake of the private investigator’s discovery, autopsy reports were found to be inconsistent with what Glass told both police and the PI, but before the People could build a case against her, Glass was found dead from an apparent suicide. However, were it not for the efforts of the private investigator, Lucas’s father may never have had answers in his son’s disappearance.