Certified Internet Web (CIW) Professional Practice Exam

What precaution should a company take to protect its proprietary information after a leak?

1. Destroy all proprietary information

2. Restrict Internet access

3. Uninstall any e-mail clients

4. Monitor employees' messages

The correct answer is: Monitor employees' messages

Monitoring employees' messages is a precaution a company can take to protect its proprietary information after a leak because it allows the organization to identify any potential further breaches or misuse of sensitive information. By keeping an eye on communications, a company can respond quickly to any suspicious activity, understand how the leak occurred, and mitigate the risk of sensitive information being shared inappropriately in the future. Additionally, monitoring can help establish patterns of behavior that may lead to future leaks, thus enhancing overall security protocols. On the other hand, destroying all proprietary information is not a viable solution, as it eliminates valuable intellectual property that may still be needed for business operations. Restricting internet access could hinder productivity and does not address the root of the leak; it may also not prevent future incidents. Uninstalling email clients would severely limit communication and would not offer a solution for protecting existing proprietary information.