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In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

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Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#11

Post by [deleted] »

loceng wrote: post #4
IBM wrote: post #2

Somewhat ironic that this memo got leaked but I think in this case it actually serves their purpose for it to be read by everyone (including potential employees). I think this part is key and is something I've always wondered about: >While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played. The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and…

And downside for the organization -- first to market is important, and rewarding thieves over the innovators - giving thieves resources over the innovators, is not good overall for society.

[deleted]

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#12

Post by simlevesque »

sergiotapia wrote: post #9

Can they not tweak specific word variations to track down where the leak is coming from? You can narrow it down to which department the leak is coming from at least.

That's assuming the leaker is repeating what (s)he heard/read verbatim instead of paraphrasing.

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#13

Post by loceng »

wuliwong wrote: post #8
loceng wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And downside for the organization -- first to market is important, and rewarding thieves over the innovators - giving thieves resources over the innovators, is not good overall for society.

I think IMB's question was just limited to understanding the employee's motivations, I don't think they were implying there are no other affected parties.

Didn't mean to imply that if I did, essentially just wanted to add to their comment.

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#14

Post by yodon »

IBM wrote: post #2

Somewhat ironic that this memo got leaked but I think in this case it actually serves their purpose for it to be read by everyone (including potential employees). I think this part is key and is something I've always wondered about: >While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played. The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and…

>I’ve never understood what the employee gets out of it

The intelligence services have done a great deal of research into the persona of the press leaker/Wikileaks leaker (as distinct from the more traditional espionage leaker). A common trait is for the press leaker to be either highly over-qualified for their job or believe themselves to be over-qualified for their job. The belief coming out of that research is a sense of being under appreciated and a deep need to be recognized by someone (even themselves) for something they’ve done is the primary motivation for this class of leaker. The “leaking good and important things” blanket that the leaks are wrapped in then becomes a secondary factor that is used by the leaker to justify their actions to themselves in their quest for the recognition they need. I doubt if corporate press leakers have been studied as heavily as intelligence sector leakers, but the chances are good there are some similar motivations at play.

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#15

Post by IBM »

melvinmt wrote: post #10
IBM wrote: post #2

Somewhat ironic that this memo got leaked but I think in this case it actually serves their purpose for it to be read by everyone (including potential employees). I think this part is key and is something I've always wondered about: >While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played. The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and…

Who says the employee is not being rewarded?

Maybe they are? But I think that would magnify the downside of leaking by 10x for limited upside? Note I'm talking about people who work in Cupertino. It makes complete sense for someone working at a supplier in Asia to leak for money, doesn't really make much sense for a software engineer.

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#16

Post by praneshp »

IBM wrote: post #2

Somewhat ironic that this memo got leaked but I think in this case it actually serves their purpose for it to be read by everyone (including potential employees). I think this part is key and is something I've always wondered about: >While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played. The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and…

Sometimes the leaker might think they have an upside. I worked (generally, in the same floor/area) with one such person[0]. The actual emails are available for the public, the leaker wanted some coverage for the new startup she was going to move to.

[0]: https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/08/18/ex-yahoo-employee-adm...

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#17

Post by MajorSauce »

jsnell wrote: post #6
sneak wrote: post #3

This article sounds like it was written by Apple. “everything to lose”? Really?

Everything after the bolded "Here’s the memo:" is indeed written by Apple. That's kind of the nature of quoting a memo...

TBF, they should have worked the formatting so that it is easier to find for someone looking the said memo without having to scan through the whole article.

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#18

Post by ghaff »

IBM wrote: post #2

Somewhat ironic that this memo got leaked but I think in this case it actually serves their purpose for it to be read by everyone (including potential employees). I think this part is key and is something I've always wondered about: >While it may seem flattering to be approached, it’s important to remember that you’re getting played. The success of these outsiders is measured by obtaining Apple’s secrets from you and…

There are a number of reasons even if there's no formal quid pro quo such as money under the table or even a nice meal.

Reporters cultivate relationships with sources and sharing some inside information can come to be seen as just helping out a friend with some tidbit that doesn't really hurt anything.

Furthermore, there can be an ego thing around sharing things you know that other people don't.

Re: In a Leaked Memo, Apple Warns Employees to Stop Leaking Information

#20

Post by megaman22 »

sergiotapia wrote: post #9

Can they not tweak specific word variations to track down where the leak is coming from? You can narrow it down to which department the leak is coming from at least.

Ah, the good old Canary Trap

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_trap

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