You expect employees or third parties to maintain the confidentiality of your business trade secrets in your interactions. However, it does not always happen despite the steps you take.
For instance, a non-disclosure agreement can only do so much in preventing a rogue or malicious individual from disclosing valuable information. When this happens, the steps you take in response can go a long way in protecting your business interests. Here is what you need to do.
Take the necessary steps to contain the breach
The first thing you ought to do is to identify and contain the information that is in the wrong hands. You cannot properly address a confidentiality breach if you don’t know its extent. Interview employees and review records to have a complete picture of where everything started and how much is out there.
Next, you should inform the affected parties of the breach and the need to take protective measures. It is crucial to notify them in a timely manner, detailing the nature of the breach and what’s being done about it.
Lastly, you should explore your legal options. Depending on the nature of the breach, there is a raft of legal interventions that can help save the situation such as injunctions and restraining orders. You can even get compensation for the losses suffered from the breach.
Stay ahead of such situations
There will be lessons to learn after a confidentiality breach. You may need to take further protective measures to keep your trade secrets safe or revise your company policy on the same. Learning from your mistakes can help anticipate and address such issues.
The key thing after a confidentiality breach is that you come out on top, protect your business interests and reduce the possibility of future occurrences.