Translated from 日本語 • View original 
Deciphering from IPA's "Fact-finding Survey on Trade Secret Management 2024"
In recent years, "internal information leakage" has become a serious issue in corporate information security. In the "Fact-finding Survey on Trade Secret Management by Companies 2024" released by the Information Technology Promotion Agency (IPA) in August 2025, it was revealed that the perception of trade secret leakage cases has increased sharply from 5.2% to 35.5% over the past five years.
The survey, which surveyed 1,200 personnel in various positions, including information systems departments and management, highlights the actual situation of trade secret leakage and management status in companies.
"Misalignment of Perception" Behind Internal Fraud
According to the report, the top channels for leaking trade secrets are inadequate rules by current employees (32.6%) and motivations such as financial purposes (31.5%) . This shows that internal fraud, along with external cyberattacks, remains a major risk.
More notably, there is a gap in risk perception between management and frontline personnel. While managers view trade secret management as a "management issue," it tends to be treated as a "part of the business" in the field, resulting in differences in the priority of countermeasures.
Countermeasures should be directed not only at "opportunities" but also at "motivation"
Many companies are taking technological measures to reduce the "opportunity" of information leakage, such as limiting the use of USB flash drives and recording system logs. However, the report points out that measures against "motives and justifications for fraud" have not been taken sufficiently.
This is because there are cases where employees justify bringing up information based on psychological factors such as "their contributions are not being evaluated" or "they are dissatisfied with the company".
**What are the measures to combat the motive and justification of fraud? **
The following measures are effective in deterring the "motive" or "justification" of internal fraud:
Improving Organizational Culture
- System to correctly evaluate employee contributions
- Fair treatment and career path presentation
Education and Awareness
- Regular training on the risks and legal responsibilities of information leakage
- Compliance education to raise ethical awareness
Management Involvement
- Clearly state information management as a management issue
- Promote cross-organizational security measures
Conclusion
The IPA's research shows that companies need to look not only at "technical defenses" but also at "human psychology and behavior" when it comes to data leakage prevention. Internal fraud is an area that cannot be prevented by technology alone. The key to information security in the future will be for management and the field to work together to take comprehensive measures against the three elements of motivation, opportunity, and justification.