| Living Digitized | | | | uneducated. A business is most profitable when its |
| The electronic flow of data permeates the fibers | | | | channels of communication to its clients are open |
| of every business. Try to make a transaction | | | | and accessible. Yet having these channels |
| without accessing the binary realm - bets are that | | | | accessible also opens the flood gates of a small |
| even the cash register used to ring your favorite | | | | business' proprietary information. Domestically, |
| morning beverage is accessing electronic data. | | | | intellectual property theft was, according to the |
| Today, business survival and success depends on | | | | FBI, on the increase. In 2005, unauthorized |
| immediate connectivity and data | | | | distribution of digital information cost the average |
| communication.Living in a digitized world has | | | | company $355,552, a two-fold increase from the |
| altered modes of business communication as well. | | | | 2004 rate of $168,529(6) With the growth of |
| Shooting a quick email off with a pricing quote or | | | | intellectual property theft, the government has |
| sending an answer to a email query are just as | | | | allocated some resources to this issue.In 2004 |
| commonplace as a client call. Email has evolved | | | | there were "with the support of Congress, the |
| into the standard mass communications tool, | | | | Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section |
| whether it be message communications or as a | | | | [(CCIPS)] has grown from 22 attorneys to more |
| document courier. According to Pew Internet | | | | than 35 attorneys over the past two years. |
| Research a mere decade ago, just 15% of adults | | | | Created in 1991, CCIPS attorneys prosecute |
| in the US went online, today that number has | | | | intellectual property cases...[they also] develop |
| jumped to 63%(1). | | | | relationships with international law enforcement |
| "On a typical day at the end of 2004, some 70 | | | | agencies and foreign prosecutors to strengthen |
| million American adults logged onto the internet to | | | | the global response to intellectual property theft. |
| use email, get news, access government | | | | (7)" A total of 35 dedicated attorneys in the |
| information, check out health and medical | | | | CCIPS in Washington, D.C. are defending U.S. |
| information, participate in auctions, book travel | | | | intellectual property rights. Are these resources |
| reservations, research their genealogy, gamble, | | | | enough ample resources for the 17.6 million sole |
| seek out romantic partners and engage in | | | | proprietorships in the United States(8)? When |
| countless other activities. That represents a 37% | | | | looking at the growth of dollars lost through |
| increase from the 52 million adults who were | | | | intellectual property loss accelerating every year, |
| online on an average day in 2000".(2)The statistics | | | | using government as the sole solution does not |
| show that the internet and email flood our very | | | | seem to be the answer.Preventing those leaks |
| existence. A business enterprise can't be effective | | | | Each time a small business entity shares |
| or successful without accommodating its wired | | | | confidential information such as price lists, legal |
| clientele. Email is now such an integral part of the | | | | documents, plans and proposals - its reputation |
| work world that a USA Today survey found that | | | | and competitive advantage is at stake. The |
| given a choice between giving up morning coffee | | | | impact associated with a private email or |
| or the ability to use the internet at work, 52% | | | | attachment being accidentally or intentionally |
| chose coffee(3).Your Unintentional Data Flow | | | | forwarded can be colossal.From sole |
| It's inevitable that some of yours and/or your | | | | proprietorships to ventures of a hundred |
| company's data will be transmitted outside the | | | | employees, the small business enterprise must be |
| network or personal system. Sharing unprotected | | | | able to access the same resources of large scale |
| electronic documents will ultimately cost you and | | | | enterprises. The power to share work without |
| your business By putting your intellectual property | | | | relinquishing creative and innovative control is an |
| at risk. Think of all the man-hours of work that | | | | invaluable tool. Taking preventative steps by using |
| go into making your enterprise a success: | | | | security software allows small business |
| proprietary designs, financial statements, | | | | enterprises to protect their right to profit from |
| competitive research, and other sensitive | | | | their own intellectual property. Securing files is the |
| documents are all at risk when sent out as an | | | | best means to plugging information |
| unprotected email attachment.Leakage of | | | | leaksProtection of intellectual property is |
| confidential intellectual property can seriously | | | | imperative for success in business. Individuals and |
| threaten the viability of an incubating contract | | | | small companies need to protect their email and |
| lead. Unfortunately, email and documents meant | | | | digital assets with the same confidence shared by |
| for a select group can easily and quickly enter the | | | | their larger enterprise business counterparts. |
| public sphere. Once released over email, the | | | | Becoming actively aware of your digital assets |
| transmitting flood of data which was once | | | | and its whereabouts allows the individual and small |
| between company and client can fall into the | | | | business enterprise to managing the flow of your |
| hands of competitors, sometimes even | | | | digital data in a more productive manner than |
| forwarded by potential clients to competitors. Do | | | | President Bush or Prime Minister Blair's sticky note |
| you want to give your competitors shortcuts to | | | | solution for their "personal stuff."- - - - - - - - - |
| your clientele? Each unsupervised electronic | | | | -End Notes:1.) Lee Rainie, John Horrigan p.59 |
| transmittal will poke hole upon hole in a company's | | | | Report: Internet Evolution, Chapter 4 "Internet: |
| financial fortification.Who's Looking at your | | | | The Mainstreaming of Online Life." Pew Internet |
| "Personal Stuff?" | | | | Rearch 25 January 2005. Ibid, 58.3.) USA TODAY. |
| Who's protecting your small business enterprise's | | | | McLean, Va.: Jul 14, 2005. B1.4.) Bush, President |
| best interests against these in unintentional | | | | George W., "Address to the American Society of |
| information leaks? Certainly not the government, | | | | Newspaper Editors Convention," 14 April 2005. 26 |
| when US President, George W. Bush voiced his | | | | January 2004, Gordon, Lawrence A., Martin P. |
| bias against email in his address to the American | | | | Loeb, William Lucyshyn and Robert Richardson, |
| Society of Newspaper Editors, saying "I don't | | | | "CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey" |
| email, however. And there's a reason. I don't want | | | | July 2005, 15.7.) Israelite, David M., Daniel J. Bryant, |
| you reading my personal stuff."(4) Nor does | | | | Brian D. Boyle, et.al, "Report Of The Department |
| Great Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the | | | | of Justice's Task Force on Intelllectual Property," |
| rest of number 10 Downing Street trust the | | | | U.S. Department of Justice - Office of Legal Policy, |
| mass communication tool, instead opting to use | | | | October 2004, 21.8.) Buscher, Patricia, "Number of |
| sticky notes(5).These are the drastic, archaic | | | | Small Businesses Continues to Grow (2002)," U.S. |
| steps backwards those zealously phobic of the | | | | Census Bureau. - - - - - - - - -The article "Filling in |
| digital communications era have adopted. Do you | | | | the Data Leaks (Protecting your Personal Stuff)" |
| see your business forgoing email for sticky notes? | | | | was a collaboration between Ms. Veniegas and Mr. |
| The likely answer is no, as your customers won't | | | | Zachary Price of Essential Security Software, Inc. |
| be transitioning to the sticky note 2.0 platform.A | | | | ESS is a SBRM solution for Small And Medium |
| small business enterprise shouldn't have to | | | | Businesses. |
| succumb to the paranoia of the few and | | | | |