Information security analytics

The US government has identified 14 people whom it suspects of insider trading. The accused include influential financial company employees, brokers, lawyers and hedge fund managers. Together, they made 15 million USD on the basis of insider information, making this probably the biggest case of insider dealing of the last thirty years.

Another slew of leaks from mobile devices has hit universities and hospitals. Instances of tens of thousands of victims and flagrant neglect of procedure now no longer surprise us. According to the InfoWatch Analytical Center, the public is now used to it.

A former employee at DuPont has been found guilty of intellectual property theft worth 400 million USD, which the insider intended to pass to a competitor, Victrex. The court sentenced the accused to 10 years behind bars and imposed a fine of 250,000 USD. DuPont had called in the FBI to investigate the source of the leak. But, as InfoWatch experts note, it all could have been so much simpler: Control over network channels and workstations allows companies to catch insiders red-handed and prove their guilt.

The damage caused by a leak from TJX Companies continues to mount. Hot on the heels of Canada and Britain, Korean nationals are now suffering too. InfoWatch experts think it is not yet possible to ascertain the total number of those affected, nor the extent of the damage to TJX itself. Meanwhile, in Korea, the circumstances surrounding yet another leak – at Kookmin Bank – have been clarified.

As the result of a leak from the US government, 150 members of the Legislature have come under threat of identity theft, and some senators are demanding that security procedures be checked in federal organizations. Meanwhile, the Department for Constitutional Affairs is preparing to increase the sentence for disseminating private details to two years’ in prison. However, InfoWatch experts consider that punitive actions alone are not enough to solve the problem of leaks.