WikiLeaks' exposure of a massive number of U.S. embassy cables coupled with the organization's promise to expose a private company next time have businesses running for cover. Here are a few ideas for staying off of WikiLeak's radar.

The risk of this kind of data leak can be mitigated with a few safeguards, writes analyst Samara Lynn in a post at PCMagazine. Monitoring network activity, limiting searchable data, using robust data loss prevention software and keeping an eye on user permissions can go a long way, she writes.

McAfee's John Dasher, not surprisingly, puts an emphasis on the role of data loss prevention technology. If an authorized user all of a sudden were to copy massive quantities of sensitive data to a laptop, McAfee's DLP tools can block use of a USB thumb drive or send out an alert, Dasher writes in a post on the company's blog.

Dasher concedes, however, that protecting data is not just a technology problem but also a business problem. "While IT departments might well be able to protect regulated data that is clearly identifiable (e.g., credit card numbers, [Social Security numbers], and other [personally identifiable information]), they are not typically in a position to identify the very information that makes the business competitive and insures its very survival--its intellectual property," he writes.

Any technology implementation has to be surrounded by the right internal controls. "Our most successful customers are those who invest the time and energy to involve their cross-functional business leaders in the process leading up to a technology deployment," Dasher writes.

For more:
- see Samara Lynn's post at PCMagazine
- see John Dasher's post at McAfee blog

Related Articles:
Wikileaks attacked by DDOS, booted from U.S.-based domain
WikiLeaks plans to turn scope on business world