Confidential and Not for Distribution

You just had to ask how I found it. Now look, you may be the client but it’s a secret — their secret that is.

Do a Google search for “not for distribution” confidential and look at all the stuff you find. Now try “not for distribution” confidential site:microsoft.com and look at what you find. Now if you were to try this on the subject company’s web site….

Web-based documents are neither confidential nor private, but they might be a secrets in plain sight.

2 Responses to “Confidential and Not for Distribution”


  1. 1 Dan McHugh

    Richard, you’re absolutely right on this one. While there’s not too many docs on microsoft.com that sneak through that filter, I’m sure if I looked at a smaller multinational things would be different.

    What’s your take on slapping “Confidential” on every document though? I heard that from a legal perspective the more you overuse the term on your documents the less relevent that “confidential-ness” (is that a word?) applies to current and future documents.

    That doesn’t take away from your point about having a very secure holding aread for online documents of the confidential nature.

  2. 2 Richard McEachin

    Dan:

    I don’t think putting “Confidential” on everything is the answer. That would just mean more site traffic and more careless employees. It’s the careless employees that we have now that need “re-educating”.

    Of course, I have a vested interest. “Confidential on everything” and “careful employees” would make my job more difficult.

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