When information is illegally accessed and transferred from a company or individual, it is called data theft. Usually, the stolen information is private and confidential. This information comprises of the full name, date of birth, address, phone number, social security number, etc of the customers. This is sensitive information that can be easily misused. Such personal information can be used for accessing your bank accounts or to gain access to other protected areas. This is an illegal offence and the apprehended criminals are legally punishable.

In more than 8 out of 10 cases it is the employees of the organisation, who are indulging in such criminal acts. However, company managers find it hard to believe that their employees can ever stoop to such fraudulent means. It is indeed surprising as to what drives educated and well-placed employees working in large, cultured organisations to commit acts of crime.

Why do Employees Steal Company Data?

In the past, (a few years back) if employees were apprehended stealing data, they would stoutly deny that what they had done was a criminal act. They felt that they had a right to the information, as they helped gather it. However, accessing data secretly and transferring it is definitely an illegal act. The information gathered is private and confidential and those who indulge in such acts are punishable by law. However, such ignorance-induced acts are now past history.

The present-day employees who steal data are either driven by greed or a revenge motive. They access the sensitive information and sell it to the competitors who are business rivals of the company. At other times, fired employees simply access and destroy data of the company. This singularly destructive act of theirs entails their company a loss of millions of pounds. Preventing such insider job is difficult. This difficulty is compounded by the vast availability of small data storage devices that have gigantic storage capacities.

Mode of Data Theft and the Implications of the Act

Plenty of gadgets containing gigabytes of memory space are used by the employees. Identity thieves in Britain were caught using I-pods (that uses a hard drive) to store personal data and transfer it out of the company premises. The advent of cell phones, (with cameras) USB thumb drives, digital cameras, etc., has made the job easier for data thieves. Computers can also be hacked online. Hackers steal the passwords and credit card numbers when someone merely visits their infected web site. Online theft of data is also on the rise.

Though stealing data has become rampant, there is no uniform figure that can help us assess the damage done to a company. The financial loss is often related to the business of the company from which data is stolen. Similar loss of client information from two different companies might have different consequences on either of them. The costs are calculated factoring in the loss of business due to data theft, the cost of employee downtime and the cost of repairing the damage done. To prevent such occurrences in the future, companies have to enforce stringent policies.

Preventing Theft and Apprehending Thieves

It is advisable to repeatedly educate employees to make them aware of the company-enforced security measures. If these guidelines are violated the matter must be investigated. They might indicate data theft.

When employees suspect a theft, digital forensic investigators can help solve the cases. However, the employer must also restrain caution to prevent destruction of evidence. Employees must never make the mistake of trying to access the computer of the suspect as this act would alert them. The computer of the suspect must be unplugged.

Proof of the committed crime lies everywhere, on the hard drive, the print server, backup tapes, etc. Digital forensic experts carefully examine the system, collect the findings, analyse them and present their findings in the court room. The investigation they perform according to legally stipulated conditions helps arrest data thieves.

White-collared criminals would find stealing data to be a double-edged sword. Ordinary law-enforcing agencies cannot understand the clues left behind; on the other hand, the clues they leave cannot be obliterated. This non-erasure of clues helps digital forensic experts zero in on the right culprit.