Intellectual Property Theft Case Study Analysis

Theft of IP Case 1

The insider worked as a chemist and later a product development director at a paint manufacturing plant. He made a business trip abroad to work with one of his organizations subsidiaries, and a coworker noticed that he was unusually interested in a competitor based in another country. A few weeks after the trip, the insider resigned abruptly. This raised some suspicion at his organization. They investigated the company laptop he had returned and noticed that he had deleted all of the temporary files. Upon further examination, they discovered a hidden file that contained, among other things, a prohibited data copy program and 44 GB of unauthorized data that included the organizations intellectual property. Upon executing a search warrant, authorities confiscated a USB drive from the insiders luggage as he was attempting to leave the country. The drive contained IP belonging to the organization, including formulas for products that the insider had not worked on and thus had no legitimate reason to possess. The authorities also noticed that his LinkedIn profile stated that he was now employed by a similar company in another country. The duration of the incident was approximately five months, but the majority of the trade secret theft occurred in the two weeks prior to his resignation. He was convicted, sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $30,000 in restitution.

Required Format for Written Analysis

Your case study analysis must include the following sections:

Executive Summary

A brief overview of the case, key findings, and primary recommendations. Write this last but place it first.

150-200 words

Case Overview

Summarize the facts of the case: who, what, when, where, and how. Stick to facts without analysis.

200-300 words

Problem Statement

Clearly identify the key issues and problems revealed by this case. What went wrong?

150-250 words

Case Analysis

This is the heart of your paper. Apply theories and concepts from the course to explain WHY this theft occurred. What vulnerabilities existed? What warning signs were missed? Support your analysis with specific evidence from the case.

400-500 words

Alternative Solutions

Present 2-3 possible approaches the organization could take to prevent similar incidents. Discuss the pros and cons of each option.

300-400 words

Recommendations

Select the best solution(s) and explain your rationale. Be specific about implementation. What should the organization do first? What resources are needed?

250-350 words

Conclusion

Briefly summarize the key lessons learned from this case.

100-150 words

Total Minimum Length: 1,500 words

• Submit as a .docx or .pdf file
• Filename format: LastName_Assignment3_Analysis.docx
• Double-spaced, 12-point font (Times New Roman or Arial)
• Include a title page with your name, date, and case title
• Cite sources using APA format (including the textbook)
• Include a references page (not counted toward word count)