Software IP Protection in a Complicated World

Securing intellectual property in age of open source

Mark Warren, Perforce Software
EETimes (7/28/2015 00:13 AM EDT)

With software becoming a competitive differentiator even in hardware designs, it is important to use behavioral analytics tools that protect proprietary software IP from theft.

Securing intellectual property (IP) and confidential product data is quickly becoming a challenge for many organizations, particularly those in the electronics manufacturing industry, where hardware design increasingly involves open source software.

All indications are that IP theft is on the rise. Just one example is the long-running lawsuit between a U.K. defense contractor, Meggitt, and its former employee who allegedly stole sensor specifications. It’s hard to obtain precise numbers because few companies want to publicize their weaknesses and losses, but according to research by security firm Kaspersky Lab, one in five manufacturing firms reported a loss of IP in 2014. And a recent Vormetric Insider Threat Report found that 89 percent of global senior business managers and IT professionals surveyed felt that their organizations were now more at risk from an insider attack than ever before.

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