Skip to content
Product cover

Keeping Trade Secrets Secret

April 1, 2006 | David R. Hannah | Workplace, Teams, & Culture
Companies are incurring enormous losses from the misappropriation of their trade secrets. In a 2002 survey of more than 130 firms, 40% reported actual or suspected losses, and the data suggest the true figure might be significantly higher. The study also estimated that the companies represented by the survey participants -- the Fortune 1000 corporations and 600 additional small and medium-sized companies -- were likely to have experienced trade-secret and other intellectual-property losses of more than $50 billion during a one-year period. Research has shown that the biggest threat to a company's trade secrets comes not from spying competitors but from within: current and former employees. Consequently, the protection of trade secrets is largely a managerial issue, and firms need to take the appropriate measures to ensure that employees keep trade secrets from leaking. But many organizations make a number of crucial missteps, sometimes failing to implement the right precautions or relying on a well-intentioned but ineffective practice -- or worse, a wrongheaded policy that only leads to more information being divulged. The following are the most common mistakes: giving short shrift to new-employee orientations, not communicating regularly with employees, signaling to employees that they aren't trusted, punishing instead of helping employees, not practicing what is preached, forgetting to clarify who owns ideas, defining the scope of trade secrets too narrowly and failing to address the subject of departing employees. By avoiding such mistakes, companies can help ensure that their trade secrets indeed stay secret.
Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0040
My Controller Construct  0.0003
Build Nav  0.0032
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.2598
Total Execution Time  0.2638
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5692 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/keeping-trade-secrets-secret
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0034  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0007  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0034  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0027  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0006  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0006  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0007  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0016  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0007  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0006  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0019  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0036  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0024  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0022  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0096  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0008  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0009  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0035  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0018  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'ed9b9b879d33d9c55dc48ff2ff208af6'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0032  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'keeping-trade-secrets-secret'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0194  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'keeping-trade-secrets-secret' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'keeping-trade-secrets-secret'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0029  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  1343 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '1343' 
0.0092  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '1343'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0024  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1343' 
0.0063  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1343' 
0.0010  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1343'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0514  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('244') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0011  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '431' 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '431' 
0.0016  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '431'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0021  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '825' 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '825' 
0.0010  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '825'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0099  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4029' 
0.0018  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4029' 
0.0063  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4029'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0042  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '439' 
0.0018  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '439' 
0.0016  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '439'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3579' 
0.0019  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3579' 
0.0020  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3579'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0017  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3511' 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3511' 
0.0010  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3511'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0004  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '1343'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0017  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '657' 
0.0020  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0018  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '657' 
0.0015  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '1343'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0024  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '1343'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0038  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '1344'
LIMIT 1 
0.0013  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '1344'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0004  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '1343'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0020  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0028  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0034  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)