In the professional world, businesses generate an immense amount of data and information. Whether it is an order for a supplier, the announcement of a new product or project, or a meeting between managers, there will always be exchanges between various stakeholders. Most of this information will be considered confidential. If we take, for example, health professionals, for whom professional secrecy is a daily aspect of their profession, patients share with them their concerns about their physical and / or mental health problems.
Imagine that you are consulting a psychology or health professional. In this session, you are likely to discuss your most intimate and controversial secrets and aspects of your life. How would you react to learning that your sessions have been recorded and disclosed to the world? You would probably feel like you were betrayed. Yet it is a concept that can happen, and has happened many times before, including to big name companies like Facebook, and public figures like former US President Donald Trump. There are now products designed to prevent data breaches, both in businesses and a variety of other industries.
What is a data breach?
We normally talk about a breach or leak of confidential information in a business when it concerns data, messages or audio and video recordings that have been sent to entities outside the planned exchange network. In other words, sensitive information that has been sent or stolen by an entity that should not have received it. These incidents have often occurred during an attack by hackers or during industrial espionage. However, sometimes the breach is the result of human error, which makes it even more distressing.
It’s no secret that we live in a digital environment where information is more accessible than ever. Several significant events have taken place in recent years, and these have clearly demonstrated to the world that the information and data we share can even be used against us. For example, the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, which revealed that shared interests on social media were used to promote political propaganda to influence voter choice in the 2016 US election.
If we come back to a reality that is more personal to us, it is difficult to forget the personal data breach that took place at Desjardins, or the one at La Place 0-5 which will force the government to ask all users of the system to shut down access to all their digital services. We also think of the Facebook confidential data breach which affects nearly 3.5 million Canadians and nearly 533 million users worldwide.
What about audio leaks?
From secretly recorded business and political meetings to employees wanting revenge on their employer, numerous audio leaks have occurred, causing irreversible damage to those involved. For example, the Prime Minister of Ukraine gave a letter of resignation after an audio leak revealed his criticism of the ukrainian president. In the social media world, Mark Zuckerberg was forced to deal with an audio leak from an internal conference with concerned employees. Another case is that of the Iranian foreign affairs minister who commented on the rivalry with a military leader of the country.
Is it possible to effectively protect your business from a data breach?
Although a multitude of tools, software and even physical devices exist to counter these incidents, it is impossible to 100% protect all the information and data that travels around the world via the web, mail or otherwise. However, these protective measures can make it more difficult for those who attempt to intercept this confidential information.
This is why companies like Santor, a Quebec company specializing in data protection, are developing products to counter these attacks. Designed and developed by Santor, the UNG52 is a revolutionary government-grade voice protection device, which aims to jam audio waves. This tool can be used in any location to protect your confidential conversations during professional meetings with business partners, shareholders or your employees. It is also possible to use the UNG52 in your car in the same way it would be used in a meeting or conference room.
How does the UNG52 work??
The UNG52 voice protector offers two protection modes which can be used simultaneously. The Discreet mode emi1ts barely audible ultrasonic waves which jam the waves recorded by most devices equipped with a microphone (cellphones, computers, etc.). The Voice Mixing mode, on the other hand, offers protection against human listening, audio recording and noise cleaning software by emitting a mixture of voices that covers the frequency spectrum of the human voice. It is also possible to record your own voice to further scramble the frequencies of your voice, making listening more difficult. It can also play music to increase the noise in the room.
The device is controlled manually or through a specially designed secure mobile application. This allows you to activate both modes, giving you full control over how much security you want and also allows you to record your voice. In order to last through the years, it is possible to update the software of the device with the help of a member of the Santor team, therefore keeping the protection of the UNG52 to its maximum capacity.
Who was this product intended for?
Although these products can technically be used by anyone, they are normally reserved for governments, agencies, public and private institutions as well as companies requiring high protection as to the confidentiality of trade and work. In the case of the UNG52, it is a unique high-caliber device whose price reflects the superior quality of the product. This represents an extremely profitable investment, if we take into account the consequences and costs associated with a major information leak, especially in a business. Such an incident can generate colossal losses, even legal action resulting in legal fees and much more.
In conclusion
It is clear that some information and data must remain confidential for several reasons such as national security or the launch of a revolutionary product which must not be revealed to the competition under any circumstances. No individual or business is completely immune to data breaches, espionage or bad intentions from another person. Our personal data is now in places we cannot imagine and confidential data leaks can happen at any time. There are, however, effective software and peripherals like the UNG52 voice protector offered by Santor that can help protect this information and effectively prevent data breaches.
