CRM Data as a Trade Secret: Are You Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset?

Email addresses and phone numbers are generally readily available so they cannot be trade secrets.

But non-public insights such as customer preferences, buying behaviour, pricing history, internal notes, and strategic relationship information, could qualify.

Under UK and international trade secret laws information qualifies as a trade secret if it:

– Is not generally known or readily accessible to others

– Has commercial value because it is secret

– Is subject to reasonable steps to keep it confidential

CRM data may well qualify if it meets the above criteria

So how do you protect your CRM data using trade secrets?

– Classify the data

– Restrict access  

– Use contracts

– Train your team

– Audit and monitor

Your CRM data gives you a competitive advantage, but is it a trade secret?

How are you protecting your CRM data? Are your trade secrets safe?
Drop your thoughts or questions in the comments.

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