Competitive Intelligence For Dummies

Chapter 18

Defending against Competitor Intelligence

In This Chapter

Developing prudent paranoia

Dodging common intel traps

Tightening your organization’s security

Knowledge is power. You know it, and so do your competitors. Like you, your competitors are probably engaged in competitive intelligence (CI) to some degree. After all, you’re not the only one seeking to gain a competitive edge. They may be reading this book, and some of them may choose to ignore the advice I give in Chapter 4 and engage in unscrupulous behavior. They may hire some of your key employees in the hopes of getting trade secrets or engage in industrial espionage by stealing sponsored research or planting electronic surveillance devices or software inside your organization.

Regardless of whether your competitors play by the rules, you should never let down your guard. You need to protect your organization and prevent any sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. In this chapter, I give you the information and tools you need to guard against competitor intelligence.

Assuming Everyone’s a Liar ...