Espionage of Corporate Data

A company’s most valuable assets – besides material resources and reliable Employees – are its Intellectual Property and internal knowledge in the form of development and construction documents, production processes, customer data and numerous other trade secrets that must be protected. The review and optimisation of your security precautions form just as much a part of the portfolio of our Swiss Commercial Investigation Agency as the identification and prosecution of corporate spies: +41 44 5522 264.

When Company Data Ends Up in the Hands of Competitors

Industrial and corporate espionage are known to be practised worldwide, yet the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) still reacts rather sluggishly. In contrast to other European states, Switzerland appears insufficiently aware of the danger posed by international espionage activities. Not only governments and large corporations are at risk – small and medium-sized enterprises are likewise spied upon. These businesses, however, often cut corners when it comes to security measures, assuming they are too insignificant and uninteresting for commercial espionage compared to major corporations. They forget that the term espionage does not solely refer to data extraction by foreign states, but also—and very commonly—to corporate espionage carried out by direct competitors from Switzerland or abroad.

Example: A representative of one of your competitors obtains legal or illegal access to your business premises, installs audio and/or video recording devices or infiltrates your IT infrastructure with spyware, thus granting your competitor extensive insight into your company processes. The competitor subsequently exploits your customer and supplier data, or your development and production documents, to secure illicit competitive advantages. Without substantial effort, they may bring your product to market more quickly—and possibly more cheaply—than you. Our specialised Swiss Corporate Investigators identify the perpetrators and their actions, providing you with court-ready evidence documentation of our investigative results: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-schweiz.ch.

Weak Point: Employees – Identifying Internal Spies Through Swiss Detectives

In an overwhelming number of cases, Employees are involved in corporate espionage against their employer. They are either bribed by competitors or intend to use company data for their own purposes—for instance, to found their own business or auction off the information to the highest bidder. Depending on their position within the company, Employees may have easy, inconspicuous access to sensitive data. The Commercial Investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Switzerland conduct investigations following known data leaks or even when there are rumours of an internal “mole”, enabling the court-proof identification of data thieves within your own ranks.

Much can also be done on a preventive level to stop unwanted loss of sensitive data: At your request, the experienced investigators of our Detective Agency in Zurich thoroughly screen applicants before they are hired. Employees must furthermore be trained in the correct handling of internal company information, as this is often the origin of accidental data leaks—e.g. when a suspicious email is opened without a second thought, thereby installing spyware on your company computer. Moreover, not every Employee should possess access rights to every system. Restricting access rights according to specialist relevance, regularly changing passwords and implementing many other preventive measures drastically reduce the risk of data loss. Our university-trained IT Specialists in Switzerland refine your protective mechanisms on your behalf. Obtain non-binding advice by sending us a message via the contact form or by calling us free of charge at +41 44 5522 264.