Expert view: Comment from 8MAN on security against insider threats in pharma

Following the news that five people, including two insiders, have been charged with conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in secret research from GlaxoSmithKline (The Pharma Letter January 21), internal security expert Jens Puhle, managing director of 8MAN, comments: “The attempted theft of millions of dollars worth of secret information from GlaxoSmithKline underlines the need for constant vigilance within the pharmaceutical industry.

“The enormous value of secret research and other intellectual property to rivals and criminals means the pharmaceutical sector is particularly vulnerable to both external hackers and unscrupulous insiders.”

“The fact that one of those charged with the conspiracy is a senior researcher trusted with access to top secret research demonstrates that organizations cannot be too cautious when it comes to protecting their data. We have seen examples in the financial sector where even senior executives require permission from the chairman before using a USB stick on the network, making data theft almost impossible.”