The Do-Not-Carry-Rule!

In "Travelling light in a times of digital thiervery" Nicole Perlroth, a NY-Times journalist, details the rules of the trade during business trips overseas. She points out clearly how to use digital devices and how to protect your trade secrets when you are especially in China.

Everybody knows that if you are doing business in China, in the 21st century, you don’t bring anything with you. That’s ‘Business 101’ — at least it should be.

But there are three more rules!

The New York Times Article

The NY-Times article seems to be a good reading, except the article's end, "... we lost our manufacturing base, now our R&D is in danger and we could fall back ..." - hey guys, don't be wimpy, there is nothing like a free lunch.

McAfee, the security company, said that if any employee’s device was inspected at the Chinese border, it could never be plugged into McAfee’s network again. Ever. “We just wouldn’t take the risk,” said Simon Hunt, a vice president.

Perlroth outlines an important security issue for (business) trips to China and the exposure of digital devices in the 21st centuries business environment - relevant not only to US-Corporations. But be aware data thefts could be everywhere and everyone. It's an open secret that also European entities are in the focus of (industrial) espionage activities not only through secret services from befriended nations, but also through other special interest groups.

Google said it would not comment on its internal travel policies, but employees who spoke on condition of anonymity said the company prohibited them from bringing sensitive data to China, required they bring only loaner laptops or have their devices inspected upon their return.

There are more rules than the Do-No-Carry-Rule!

From my experience the article misses three important additional rules and thoughts:

The Do-Not-Show-Rule,
secure your home base and
Do-Your-Homework (or secure your satellites).

The Do-Not-Show-Rule

The first additional rule is hands-on and means, that you shoudn't work on or speak about (sensitive) projects and documents when you are in public space, e.g. metro, plane, train ... Next time you take public transportation watch the guys with the notebooks, smartphones .... At least you could catch a glance at important business documents or more likely at non-important Facebook status massacres (who cares about that). If you are the one, watch your co-readers and co-listeners!

By the way the Do-Not-Show-Rule seems to be the only digital and non-digital rule in this context.

Secure Your Home Base

Another issue and (digital) task is the security and integrity of your companies network itself. Maybe a hacked or virus infected device could surely be a thread and opens a gateway to hell - it could be a direct invitation to copy your confidential data. But are you prepared when your infrastructure, data and knowledge is under attack? Today it doesn't matter if an intruder is located in China, in your own company or direct from hell, you have to have a security strategy and plan. Execute it!

Do-Your-Homework (secure your satellites)

So it seems that the danger through manipulated gadgets and notebooks is real, not only through physical loss, e.g. left notebooks after a hard night or through pure stupidity. But more specific is the danger of lost R&D data if your (high tech) company has a dependence, an overseas plant or a R&D center in China or where-ever. Do they use your corporate network, a separated one, paper and pencil or hammer, cutter and stone tablet?

A real world evidence how important these rules are, is the espionage case of the bankrupt Canadian telecom Company Nortel. Chinese hackers penetraded Nortels systems and had unlimited access for a decade, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ and Times of India).

Tax your own brain - for further readings I recommend highly Bruce "Schneier on Security"!

Tagged asia commonsense ideas international management travel

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