Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports and automotive technology. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is underpinned by the intellectual property that enables the teams to produce the fastest cars in the world. Last week, at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Aston Martin team introduced an upgraded car that in many aspects looked very similar to the leading Red Bull team’s car. There were immediate accusations of copying or potential theft of intellectual property, especially since several members of Red Bull’s engineering team had left and joined Aston Martin recently. An investigation by Formula One’s governing body concluded that there was no proof of intellectual property being stolen, Red Bull is continuing with their own investigation. You can read more about the controversy below.
We probably will never know the real answer on whether Red Bull’s IP was breached or not. However, this is yet another example of why companies must take technological steps to protect their intellectual property and trade secrets. Red Bull has announced that they are investigating who had downloaded sensitive files, but that may not be enough.
At 689Cloud, our mission is to prevent problems like this from happening by allowing companies, including Formula One teams, to protect their most sensitive documents so that access can be revoked, even after downloading. If an employee downloads files, and then leaves the company, those documents can be revoked so that they can no longer be opened by that individual, or anyone else. Companies can track, who has opened which files, where and when, even after they have been downloaded. This protection and tracking after download are the keys to protecting vital information.