September 10

Drafting an agreement to secure intellectual property during cloud migration

Securing intellectual property (IP) should be a top priority for any contact centre looking to migrate to the cloud. The reasons for the importance are two-fold: regulatory compliance and securing a competitive advantage. However, migrating to the cloud can muddy the subject of ownership, especially when working with a cloud provider. There is also the risk of data leaking when placed on the cloud. But a well-worded agreement can secure IP as well as clearly define who retains ownership of the IP.

In this blog, we dive into a few key areas to consider when setting an intellectual property agreement.

Ownership

One of the most important areas to address in an intellectual property agreement is ownership of IP. In situations where ownership is not strictly defined, the cloud provider has a strong case for ownership. Furthermore, the transfer of data to the cloud qualifies as creating new content, which is often indistinguishable from the existing content. Hence, contact centres have to clearly state who owns the IP when migrating to the cloud.

Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is an important part of setting up an intellectual property agreement. An agreement should address data leaks and discuss security measures to proactively protect data and keep it from the public eye. The agreement should discuss access controls (who has access and till what level) and a system for audit logs. Certain security features include two-factor authentication and advanced encryption, which are excellent assets for maintaining confidentiality.

Access

Before initiating a move to the cloud, contact centres have to state who has access to the IP and at what levels. Access control entails a sophisticated system that dictates who has access to the information and to what degree, allowing contact centres to give employees just enough access to complete their duties while still protecting data.

Key technologies and practices to consider

Along with addressing key areas to draft an intellectual property agreement, contact centres also need to agree upon the right technology to use.

Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)

A CASB is a software tool or service that sits between the organisation’s on-premise cloud infrastructure and the consumers. A CASB acts as a gatekeeper that gives contact centres the ability to extend their security policies beyond their infrastructure. The CASBs are effective in securing information because all network traffic passing onto the cloud provider and consumer’s devices are in line with the contact centre’s security policies.

CASBs are so effective because they utilise auto-discovery to identify which applications on the cloud are used and which one’s lie dormant. The auto-discovery technology can also identify high-risk users and applications among other factors. CASBs are vital and come heavily recommended for protecting IP during cloud migration because they allows the contact centre to implement high profile security access controls like device profiling and encryption.

Data Prevention Leakage Technology (DLP)

Data Prevention Leakage Technology (DLP) is a must-have for any contact centre when drafting an intellectual agreement. Data loss prevention has different functions, two of which are contextual analysis and content inspection. The technology applies for different mediums of communication like IM, emails, securing end-point devices, and on-premise file services. DLP solutions are designed to protect data and applications over the cloud to ensure there are no data leaks and prevent exposure of data. DLP solutions are essential for protecting data from leaking out to the public, be it through employee negligence or other nefarious means.

Generally, DLP technologies fall into two categories: Integrated DLP and Enterprise DLP. Examples of Integrated DLP include secure web gateways (SWGs), email encryption products, enterprise content platforms, data discovery tools, data discovery tools, email encryption products and secure email gateways (SEGs). By contrast, enterprise DLP solutions refer to packaged software that works on both desktops and servers. Enterprise DLPs are used for different functions like monitoring email traffic, soft appliances for data discovery,

Securing intellectual property

Drafting an agreement for protecting intellectual property is a crucial move for contact centres. Without a pre-arranged agreement, the integrity of information is severely compromised, which damages the contact centre’s credibility and ability to stay competitive in the long run. Besides investing in the right technology and considering key areas, contact centres must also look at the type of agreement best suited to their objectives. Be it an NDIS or Trademark Licensing, contact centres should consult with a lawyer before selecting the right agreement.

Once the intellectual property agreement is settled on, contact centres need to work with the right partners. Blackchair is the perfect partner because the firm specialises in optimising cloud migration to make it as smooth and seamless as possible via it’s flagship solution.


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