CHENNAI

III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,

148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY IN THE

Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821

BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400
WORK PLACE
COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009

COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
Surya Priya

EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 INTRODUCTION
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821

BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009

COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216 Confidentiality refers to not discussing internal goings-on with co-
workers. In other instances, it refers to not sharing trade secrets
EMAIL
and other company information with competitors, the press or
info@altacit.com anyone outside of your company.
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION SHOULD BE
PROTECTED?
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Confidential workplace information can generally be broken down into three
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821 categories:
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9, Employee Information:
Raheja Towers,

Many states have laws which govern the confidentiality and disposal of “personal
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE
identifying information” (e.g., an employee’s Social Security number, home
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921
address or telephone number, e-mail address, Internet identification name or
HYDERABAD password, parent’s surname prior to marriage or driver’s license number).
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Management Information:
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
Confidential management information includes discussions about employee
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building, relations issues, disciplinary actions, impending layoffs/reductions-in-force,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
terminations, workplace investigations of employee misconduct, etc. While
disclosure of this information isn’t necessarily “illegal,” it is almost always
EMAIL
info@altacit.com counterproductive and can seriously damage the collective “psyche” of a

WEBSITE workplace.
www.altacit.com
 Contd..
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821 Business Information:
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
We oftentimes refer to confidential business information as “proprietary
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400
information” or “trade secrets.” This refers to information that’s not generally
COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
known to the public and would not ordinarily be available to competitors except
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD
via illegal or improper means. Common examples of “trade secrets” include
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
manufacturing processes and methods, business plans, financial data, budgets and
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
forecasts, computer programs and data compilation, client/customer lists,
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building, ingredient formulas and recipes, membership or employee lists, supplier lists, etc.
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
“Trade secrets” does not include information that a company voluntarily gives to
potential customers, posts on its website, or otherwise freely provides to others
EMAIL
info@altacit.com outside of the company.
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821

BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009

COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216 With more companies adapting digital efficiencies, the challenge in
preserving trade secrets, client lists and business operations becomes greater.
In other words, there are higher confidential risks with storing sensitive
EMAIL
info@altacit.com material online or in a company database, especially if a company’s greatest
WEBSITE
asset is their intellectual property.
www.altacit.com
 1. Use Employment Contracts with Confidentiality Clauses

CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
By having new employees sign an employment contract with a confidentiality clause,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821 they legally agree to keep confidential company information private. It also ensures
BANGALORE employees will not compete with your business by partaking in similar business (referred
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
to as “non-compete”), solicit other employees (“non-solicitation”) or reveal any sensitive
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400
information during or after their employment.
COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018. In the agreement, it’s important to define what is and what isn’t considered confidential
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD
information to eliminate any misunderstanding of the terms. Another consideration
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
involves the ownership of newly created material, known as “work made for hire”. This
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
is the material an employee creates while working for a company. The agreement should
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
specify whether the company (owner) retains rights to the material after the employee has
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
left the business.
It is considered a breach of contract when an employee discloses sensitive information
EMAIL after signing the employment agreement. In this case, the employer would terminate the
info@altacit.com
employee or remedy the situation as specified in the agreement. Note that confidential
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com clauses are only as effective as the employer’s ability to enforce them.
 2. DEVELOP CONFIDENTIALITY TRAINING &
POLICIES
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
In addition to teaching employees how to handle and dispose of sensitive material,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
include information about confidentiality laws and the legal repercussions of violating
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821
company privacy policies. As your company grows, keeping this material up-to-date
BANGALORE becomes more important to maintain legal protection.
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
There are two policies employers should try to implement as part of their confidentiality
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400
training:
COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road, Social Media Policy
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921 The social web can have harmful effects on a company’s reputation and confidentiality.
HYDERABAD
Yet only 29% of companies have social media policies.
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
The first risk is reputation. Take the case of Domino’s Pizza in 2009. Two of its
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
employees recorded a video of making pizza while performing crude and unsanitary
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
behavior. They uploaded the video to YouTube and soon it had 1 million views. As a
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
result the employees were terminated, but Domino’s reputation was already damaged.
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Simply put, you don’t want employees airing their grievances on Facebook, Twitter or
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
any other social network.
The second risk is employees sharing private information in cyberspace, such as
coworker personal information, potential business deals, client information, or current
EMAIL projects. What might seem like a harmless status update could result in severe liability
info@altacit.com for the company.
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Establish a social media policy as part of your company’s efforts to preserve reputation
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821
and confidentiality. Clearly indicate the ethical guidelines for social media usage, if and
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9, how employees can speak about the company online, use of privacy settings, respecting
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001. copyright, what constitutes as confidential information, how to exercise proper judgment
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE and the consequences of divulging information online.

#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921 If social media is part of your company’s marketing plan, designate trusted individuals to
HYDERABAD manage this space and ensure they also understand the policies inside and out.
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Mobile Phone Policy
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
Personal mobile phone use in the workplace allows employees to instantly communicate
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building, with friends, family or competitors, and compromise data in ways that don’t seem
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
obvious, such as taking photos, dispelling private information and uploading sensitive
material to their device.
EMAIL
info@altacit.com A mobile phone policy should cover permitted and prohibited uses of communication
WEBSITE devices in the workplace, as well as the consequences for violation of the policy.
www.altacit.com
 3. Create a Response Plan & Employee Exit Procedure

CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Devise a response or contingency plan in the event confidential information becomes
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821
revealed. Plan for specific situations, such as published trade secrets or an employee divulging
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
information to competitors. The more circumstances you cover, the more prepared you will be
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400
should confidentiality violations occur.

COIMBATORE Assemble a team for the process and address how to assess the damage or risk. Include steps
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921
to secure the information or remedy the situation. Such examples may include removing
HYDERABAD information from the source, locating copies of sensitive material, taking legal action, as well
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road, as carrying out the consequences you noted in your agreement if the compromise was a result
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
of employee negligence.
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A, In addition to a solidified response plan, create a standardized exit process for employees.
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216 Again, this is to ensure they don’t take any confidential material with them. Standard exit
processes include an exit interview in which employees are required to submit all prior work

EMAIL and return company property. The exit process should also disable all employee accounts,
info@altacit.com emails, and remote cloud access to business records.
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 WORKPLACE PRIVACY
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821

BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921 Workers are often accustomed to personal privacy in their private lives, but employers
HYDERABAD aren't necessarily obligated to give workers privacy while they're on the job. Employers
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
hire workers to perform specific tasks --- time that employees spend taking care of
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009
private matters may seem wasteful in the eyes of the employer, so employers may
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building, monitor employee activities to determine which workers are wasting time or are
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216
engaged in activities that may raise legal issues or security concerns. Different
employers have different workplace privacy policies and employee expectations. For
EMAIL instance, a certain employer might not allow workers to use social networking websites
info@altacit.com
at work and may monitor Web activity to ensure that workers adhere to the rules, while
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com another company might encourage social networking.
 Monitoring Methods
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821
Employers may monitor employee activities in a variety of ways,
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road, many of which are related to the use of computers. According to
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Bankrate, possible methods of employee monitoring include tracking
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD Internet usage, archiving computer files, storing employee emails and
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009 instant messages, logging keystrokes, recording phone conversations,
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
testing for drugs and maintaining video surveillance. Businesses may
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216

also track the use of key cards or use satellite technology that keeps
EMAIL
info@altacit.com track of the use of company property such as cars and phones.
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 Content Blocking
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821
Employers that are worried about employees wasting time visiting
BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road, inappropriate websites or making personal phone calls may attempt
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
to block content. For example, a business might block all social
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD networking sites or websites with adult content from its network, or
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009 it may block employees from calling certain phone numbers from
COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
their work phones. Content blocking may reduce unproductive
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216

behavior without an employer actually monitoring workers and

EMAIL
info@altacit.com impinging on their privacy.
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 Considerations
CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821

BANGALORE Employees should be aware of an employer's policies regarding

Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400 personal activities at work and the use of technology for activities that
COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921
aren't related to work. If you aren't sure whether a certain activity or
HYDERABAD
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments, website is sanctioned by your employer, avoid it.
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009

COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216

EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com
 CHENNAI
III Floor, ‘Creative Enclave’,
148-150, Luz Church Road,
Mylapore,
Chennai - 600 004.
Tel: +91 - 44 - 24984821

BANGALORE
Suite 920, Level 9,
Raheja Towers,
26-27, M G Road,
Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel: +91 - 80 - 65462400

Thank you
COIMBATORE
#1533, Trichy Road,
Coimbatore – 641018.
Tel: +91 - 422 - 6552921

HYDERABAD
Flat No. A-701,
Brindavan Apartments,
Niloufer Hospital Road,
Redhills, Hyderabad - 500034.
Tel: +91 - 40 - 60506009

COCHIN
Suite 49, 8th Floor, Centre A,
Alapatt Heritage Building,
MG Road, Cochin – 682035
Tel: +91 - 484 - 6506216

EMAIL
info@altacit.com
WEBSITE
www.altacit.com