Federation Warns Company Directors They Are at Risk from Their IT Departments

The Federation warns company directors that they risk being branded ësoftware thievesí because of the actions of their employees, including those in the IT department.

This warning follows The Federationís recent discovery of over 5,800 illegal digital music files in a software audit of 2,500 PCs at a UK financial services organisation. Most of these files were illegally downloaded by people in the IT department ñ those normally tasked with combating the problem.

This startling discovery comes in the wake of The Federationís launch of Operation Tracker which is capable of watching illegal download activity.

Dubbed ëCCTV for the Internetí, company directors should be aware that illegal activities carried out by their employees are now being watched and any such activity will come back to haunt them ñ not just the guilty employees - as they may be ultimately liable. John Lovelock, Director General at The Federation, commented: ìAll too often IT policy enforcement and management is left solely to the IT department, in the belief that when IT staff say that correct licences are in place, they are. But directors must not allow themselves to be fobbed off by IT staff as they can also be the culprits. Company directors need to have a firm grip on their technically able IT staff.î With The Federation hot on the trail of UK organisations that try to get away with software theft, or are blissfully unaware through inadequate business management, directors need to wake up to their responsibility imminently before the business finds itself in court.

Operation Tracker uses evidence gathered by its computer forensics experts to apply for court orders, obtain the relevant user information from ISPs. The Federation will not waive any rights to proceed with the necessary and appropriate legal action against targets. Lovelock concluded: ìMost respectable company directors would not walk out of a high street computer store with a software CD stuffed up their jumper. Digital theft is exactly the same offence ñ it is against the law and targets will be caught.î

The Federationís warning comes at a time when the global music industry is stepping up its anti-piracy war. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recently announced it was launching legal action against 693 filesharers and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has started legal proceedings against 33 UK internet users accused of illegally uploading music to the web .