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| Employees Willing to Report Company Secrets – Including Employer Wrongdoing! The Federation Against Software Theft (FAST) has announced its campaign to promote 'employee whistleblowing' on employers pressurising them to install illegal software, has secured great interest with more than 500 online inquiries recorded in the past month. A survey of 600 commuters at London railway stations earlier this month by Infosecurity Europe also showed that many workers were very willing to disclose sensitive data, for just the price of a meal out. John Lovelock, Chief Executive of FAST says many workers are happy to talk about their business, even when they should not as the survey outlines. "Our campaign to encourage honest workers to come forward and shock their bosses is designed to let workers know that honest voices can be heard. Businesses that deliberately seek to install illegal copies of software are taking revenue from developers and workers in the creative industries, and may be committing an offence. For the sake of saving a little money they risk running applications loaded with viruses or substandard versions that won't let them access customer support when they go wrong", says Lovelock. The way in which UK businesses operate is changing more rapidly than ever, from mobile workforces and working remotely to virtualisation and cloud computing. Regardless of how quick the flow of information is and the general speed of business, employers must be aware they have to use properly licensed software. "We want people in IT to know there is support and the means to combat any illegal behaviour by contacting us, and have protection in law under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (Whistleblower Act). We hope that by raising awareness of the laws protecting employees, the number willing to blow the whistle will increase", added Lovelock. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Computing News :: home page |