In a recent survey by IT security experts Cyber-Ark

into “The recession and its effects on work ethics”, they found that company moral is at an all time low, job and employer loyalty is virtually non-existent and 58% of workers would take company secrets with them to secure their next job!

It's about survival of the fittest and with desperate times calling for desperate measures ask yourself whether you would download competitive information to get your next job and who in your office is doing it right now under your nose? Are they using a USB stick (which is the most favoured “weapon of choice”) to download that useful information?

How many disgruntled employees with the threat of redundancy could use their privileged access rights or with some IT knowledge of the network could cause havoc with the network or snoop around it for financial gain. From the employer's point of view industrial espionage, data leakage and cyber-crime is a very real threat as the economic situation worsens.

A depressing thought, but is it right that people can walk out the door with their boss's competitive information? Probably not – but do most of us really care?

If you would like to get an IT security experts view on the current situation within companies as the recession deepens with an insight into work ethics, cyber-crime and what solutions can be sought, then I would be more than happy to get an opinion piece or an interview arranged for you. Either phone me on 020 71832 832 or email Yvonne@eskenzipr.com.

If you would like a copy of the Cyber-Ark research into “The recession and its effects on work ethics” please go to http://www.cyber-ark.com/constants/white-papers.asp?dload=Ethics-Survey-Results.pdf