What will you do when you want to protect confidential information? You would probably sign a nondisclosure agreement with the party to whom you are disclosing that confidential information. However, I would like you not to be satisfied with signingthe agreement. I would like you to pay attention to the operation to reduce the risk of leakage of the confidential information.

If the other party happens to leak that confidential information, you can hold the other party responsible for breach of contract. However, the information will be known to others. And it cannot be restored to its confidential status. So if it is really important information, you should think of ways to reduce the risk of leakage of that information.

For example, Coca-Cola’s undiluted solution is manufactured in a special room that only the employees who make the solution are allowed to enter. Moreover, even the employees who are involved in the production of the undiluted liquid do not know the recipe itself. Because they are only in charge of one part of the many processes involved. (*1)

Also, only three people in the world know how to mix the herbs and spices for Kentucky Fried Chicken. The spices are then blended in several different factories, shipped to the stores, and only when they are blended at each store are the 11 herbs and spices completed. (*2)

What they all have in common is that access to the information is limited to the minimum necessary number of people, and each person can only access a portion of the information, which is strictly controlled and confidential. This is similar to secret sharing, which is a cryptographic technique.

I hope this help you protect your valuable confidential information.

[Reference]

*1 https://www.cocacola.co.jp/stories/sus_moriyama190416

*2 https://www.kfc.co.jp/about_kfc/commitment/secretrecipe.html