Keeping secrets

With the emergence of the Information Age in the 80’s, information has become a valuable asset to almost all business organizations--- in the areas of sales, operations and even finance. Information serves as the backbone of industry leaders, empowering businesses and ensuring that it maintains its competitive advantage over other companies in the industry.

In the course of its operations, a company uses and generates information. With the evolution and increasing sophistication of information technology, immediate availability and connectivity of necessary information is ensured. The same technology, however, makes the company vulnerable to information threats. In the wrong hands (unauthorized entities such as competitors), a company’s confidential information could cause harm not only to the company but also to its stakeholders. The protection and preservation of confidentiality, integrity and availability of information assets is crucial.

As such, information security has become the new buzzword. Information assets should be protected from unauthorized access or disclosure---- data, computer systems, network infrastructure and other company information need to be protected from threats of theft, alteration and unauthorized access. Policies and guidelines need to be established to help companies secure company information. Preventive security by means of giving employees access IDs that they are held accountable for, using passwords and anti-virus programs, may limit access to company information. More so in this day and age, companies have become more vigilant in closely monitoring user access prevent malicious disclosure or, worse, tampering.

I’m sure each of us, at some point in our daily lives, whether it be in our jobs or in our personal affairs, have been given the privilege of handling confidential information. How often have we ever said something to another person and ask them to swear they’d never tell another soul? How often have we trusted that the person we shared our secret with will keep that piece of information confidential? As one would want his personal secrets kept confidential by the people he entrusted them to, companies likewise expect people, whom he had disclosed information to or those whom it has allowed access to its vast information assets, to ensure that confidentiality of such information are protected and preserved. In short, companies trust that their employees can keep secrets.

Information is POWER

Have you ever experienced needing something badly and not get it that critical moment? It’s like when you are strapped for cash and the ATM machine is unable to dispense money. Don’t you just find it frustrating when that happens?

Information is POWER. It is the backbone of industry leaders--- it’s their ace card in gaining competitive advantage in the cutthroat arena of business. This is precisely why companies invest resources in sophisticated technology so that it can deliver the best value in product and services. Most of the information needed to aid in decision-making is available within few keystrokes.

It is therefore important for companies to be able to utilize their information assets at the time they need them. Immediate access and availability makes that work is unhampered, thereby helping companies realize their goals.

Because of the value of company information assets, there is then a crucial need to protect and preserve them. As such, employees need to become more responsible users of information assets. Policies and guidelines that would help companies prevent malicious access has now become a necessity.