Last week, Buildings.com published an article from Cambridge Sound Management CEO Christopher Calisi wherein he discussed the fact that many companies have implemented the proper safeguards to ensure their physical and IT security, but are ignoring a key cause of security breaches and data leaks — our voices.
Every day, sensitive information on pending acquisitions, stocks and employee relations is discussed in boardrooms, offices and conference rooms around the country. More often than not, the information shared within the four walls of a boardroom is not meant to be heard by anyone who isn’t present for the conversation. Think of it like Las Vegas – what happens there, should stay there. But, unfortunately, it’s not always that simple.
Calisi is right. A recent Career Builder/Harris Poll survey found that a whopping 53% of employees have overheard sensitive company information at work that wasn’t intended for their ears. And where do the most sensitive company discussions take place? Generally, in conference rooms and board rooms.
What can companies do about the problem? Calisi provides a few options, including creating designated safe rooms at the office, taking extremely sensitive meetings and conversations off-site, and of course, utilizing sound masking technology:
Adding technology that injects an unobtrusive background sound to an environment to cover up unwanted noise can actually work just as well and cost less money than trying to soundproof a room through physical means. Placing sound masking devices or systems outside of a conference room, an executive’s office or even throughout an open office space drastically reduces the distance where human speech is intelligible, allowing for increased protection around sensitive information.
The new Qt Conference Room Edition
Not coincidentally, Cambridge Sound Management has recently developed a product, the Qt Conference Room Edition, that can help companies ensure that conversations held in these rooms are protected. This product can help companies ensure that “word of mouth” isn’t the cause of the next big data breach.