by Sarah J Palmer

Created on: May 27, 2009

Protection of business information should be a lot easier than protecting people but judging by the media headlines sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise! Quite often the health, safety or at the very least the wealth of people depends on the safety of information and yet our public figures still manage to lose essential information. If you are travelling with commercially sensitive information you need to consider several points:

Are you authorised to travel with the information? What are the consequences of the information falling into the wrong hands? Do you want to take that risk? Would a videoconference be a better way to share the information? If you have to travel does the information need to travel with you or would it be safer to send it separately, on ahead of you? Perhaps you would prefer a colleague at your office to maintain ownership of the information until you have arrived safely at your destination and then send it on to you. Or maybe you should discuss with management if the information so sensitive that it needs to be split into two or more sections with one person responsible for each section and for each person to travel on different flights?

Many people prefer to send information electronically by email in advance of their travel to a named and known contact. If you do this then ring them first to check their email address is correct, secure and operating. Then send the documents and then ring them again to check they've received the documents.

If you are using Microsoft Office you can Encrypt or Password protect documents. Then send them onwards without revealing their passwords. Upon arrival at your destination you can access the documents or share the password face-to-face with your host.

Password protect your thumb stick (Datastick / memory / USB stick). Only use these removable storage devices if they have a security cord attached which you can put round your neck or lock onto your briefcase or laptop. Don't leave your storage devices in your hotel room. Keep them with you at all times. If you feel it's inappropriate to be carrying the information to that particular activity ask yourself if the activity is appropriate for the purpose of your business journey?

Password protect your laptop and observe good password protection protocol religiously. Never divulge your password verbally or in writing, change it regularly and don't be predictable in your choice of password.

Avoid sending documents by fax as just one incorrect dialling digit can send them astray.

If paper copies are unavoidable then only use company approved couriers who are security conscious and offer a door to door service with the pick-up agent also being the drop-off agent. The more third parties involved in the transportation of your information the greater the risk of it being lost or intercepted. If this isn't within your budget then as a minimum you should only use global courier companies who provide you with the ability to track your parcel online.

If you insist on using "snail mail" at least ensure that you take and keep soft copies, insure your packages and insist upon them being signed for upon receipt.

Finally, don't read your employer's commercially sensitive information in a public place. You don't know who is looking over your shoulder, either in person or via CCTV. It is also too easy to be distracted and subsequently separated, either deliberately or inadvertently, from your information.

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