Protecting IP in a Cyber-Threatened World: Insights from Zifino and Foley & Lardner
As companies embrace digital transformation, they increasingly depend on proprietary technologies and data that requires robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard intellectual property (IP). Zifino and Foley & Lardner LLP collaborate here to share insights on the intersection of IP and cybersecurity, exploring strategies to protect valuable assets from cyber threats while fostering innovation. Executing a cohesive strategy that combines IP and cybersecurity perspectives provides multi-tiered operational and legal protection.
The Convergence of IP and Cybersecurity
IP is a core asset for many companies to protect their competitive differentiators. A comprehensive IP strategy often involves leveraging several different forms of IP tools, including but not limited to trade secrets and patents, to protect proprietary assets such as AI models and internal strategy information.
However, as these assets are digitized and implemented across varied architectures, they become prime targets for cyberattacks. A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is essential to protect IP, ensuring that sensitive data and proprietary innovations are shielded from unauthorized access, theft, or misuse.
Key Risks to IP in the Digital Age
- Cyber Espionage: Competitors and threat actors may seek access to proprietary information, particularly around R&D, AI algorithms, and confidential client data.
- Insider Threats: Employees and third-party partners with access to sensitive information pose potential risks to IP security if appropriate controls are not in place.
- Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: IP protection is only as strong as the weakest link in a company’s supply chain. Vendors and partners must adhere to stringent cybersecurity standards.
Proactive IP and Cybersecurity Measures
- Secure Digital Infrastructure
Zifino’s Approach: Leveraging advanced threat detection, Zifino’s tools monitor for anomalies and provide actionable threat intelligence, helping to secure valuable IP against evolving cyber threats. By integrating AI-driven defenses, companies can preemptively address risks to IP.
- Legal Protections and Compliance
Foley & Lardner’s Insight: IP protections are only as strong as the legal frameworks supporting them, and those legal frameworks must be use case-specific, accounting for exactly who owns or has obligations to protect each IP asset. By aligning cybersecurity practices with the realities of their use case and corresponding IP considerations, companies can reinforce their protection strategies. Any given use case can require a unique mapping of IP tools, such as confidentiality obligations, licensing terms, and indemnities, to how data and IP is managed throughout a technology’s platform. Precise use of such IP tools, as well as clear cybersecurity standards in contracts, add an essential legal layer to IP security.
- Access Control and Insider Awareness
Joint Strategy: Companies should implement stringent access controls to ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive IP. Combined with regular training on IP and cybersecurity policies, this can reduce insider threats and accidental data breaches.
The Future of IP and Cybersecurity
As technology advances, companies will need to adapt their IP and cybersecurity strategies to address new and emerging threats. Together, Zifino and Foley & Lardner encourage organizations to approach IP protection as a comprehensive strategy that combines legal safeguards with state-of-the-art cybersecurity.
Conclusion
IP and cybersecurity are two sides of the same coin in the digital era. By combining advanced cybersecurity tools with strong legal protections, companies can safeguard their most valuable assets. With the right approach, organizations can protect their innovations, foster secure partnerships, and drive sustainable growth.
About Zifino
Zifino is an AI-driven cybersecurity solution designed from the ground up, incorporating human-in-the-loop penetration testing for comprehensive results. Requiring no customer logins, credentials, or downloads, Zifino provides super-fast reconnaissance and deep penetration testing to identify and mitigate an organization’s cybersecurity risks. Discover more at www.zifino.com
About Foley & Lardner
Foley & Lardner LLP is a preeminent international law firm that stands at the nexus of the Energy, Health Care & Life Sciences, Innovative Technology, and Manufacturing sectors. Our 1,100 lawyers across 26 offices worldwide partner on the full range of engagements from corporate counsel to intellectual property and litigation support, providing clients with a one-team solution to all their needs. For nearly two centuries, Foley has maintained its commitment to the highest level of innovative legal services and to the stewardship of our people, clients, and communities served. www.foley.com
