Protecting the Integrity of Intellectual Property in Biotech

In the drug pipeline, integrity of data is a key component of protecting intellectual property and sensitive personal information. While maintaining the integrity of research data may seem like a straightforward process to regulators, in reality the multifaceted nature of recording observations and documenting laboratory protocols makes balancing security and ease of use a major challenge to efficient scientific progress. 

While regulatory requirements laid out by CFR Title 21 regarding handling of electronic and physical records provide an excellent overview of the many factors labs need to consider when protecting their data, the requirements do not provide specific guidance on how to meet the standards laid out therein. Lab notebooks contain physical, digital, and even cloud-based components. Ensuring the secure infrastructure of note taking alone is a monumental task.

Modern security solutions must be capable of adapting to modern technology as quickly as the research they are designed to protect. Because every lab is unique, solutions must also be tailored to fit the operational needs of individual scientists. Designing an effective solution requires robust, real world testing of existing security measures to empirically identify relevant vulnerabilities. 

Full scope penetration testing is a cutting edge solution to modern security needs. In a full scope penetration test, highly trained security experts mimic the activities of malicious individuals in both the physical and digital sense. They identify security issues by exploiting vulnerabilities to gain access to locked buildings, compromise access control systems, and take over seemingly secure networks or servers using the same techniques utilized by malicious individuals.

The first step of securing data is to empirically understand the threats to its integrity. Full scope penetration testing is an essential tool for Biotechs interested in effectively and efficiently protecting their data. By simulating a realistic attack, penetration testers gain a tailored understanding of vulnerabilities that enable them to guide companies to the most impactful and streamlined solutions to their security needs.

NetWorks Group has been helping customers secure their environments for over 25 years. If you have concerns about the security of your lab notebooks, compound descriptions or other confidential data, please reach out, we can help.

‍

###

Published By: Rachel Park, Junior Penetration Tester, NetWorks Group

Publish Date: February 21, 2023

‍