Protect your business with a confidentiality agreement

Your business is working on something that will revolutionize your industry. It’s not ready to roll out yet, but your staff is working hard on it. How do you know, though, that your great idea will stay within the four walls of your Pennsylvania facility? How can you be sure that your valued employees won’t disclose confidential information to a third party or that someone who shouldn’t see something won’t? It’s essential to put regulations in place that will protect your company secrets. To do so, start by creating a proprietary information confidentiality agreement that an employee must sign. The agreement would contain a notice that anything the employee learns about your company and products during their course of working there is to be kept confidential. The most effective agreements include a notice of the specific information that cannot be revealed. It also is a wise practice to secure your company facilities to make sure that visitors and others, such as independent contractors, can’t walk through areas where your great product is under development. This can be done by requiring security clearances and key card entries. Even someone’s glance at a computer could compromise your confidential information. That’s why it’s important to require security access to files via passwords and to have employee computers set to a quick screen saver or an auto logout if the computer isn’t in use. An attorney experienced in business law can assist you in drafting a proprietary information agreement and also represent your interests should you believe an employee has broken the agreement.