Talkin be Easy

“Talkin be easy
  Doin be hard”

   Do you remember these words from the beloved childhood story of talking critters and good advice? The words are especially appropriate now as we study business espionage controls and countermeasures.
   It is true that what people say is much less important than what they do. My years as a government Investigator taught me this, along with feedback from hundreds of Business Espionage Controls & Countermeasures Association (BECCA) members.
   Yes, some people do lie through their teeth, most often about money and sex. I understand that. Much of what we ask as we hunt spies is seen by the public as private information. It is easier to say nothing, tell a half-truth, or lie. In fairness it must be said that bad memory and bad information are more common than outright lies.
   Three questions will help put what we are told in better perspective.
    (1) Who says? Who is really talking? Is the person speaking for someone else?
    (2) Why do they say it? Do they have a bias that distorts the truth? Some other agenda?
    (3) What do we know for sure? What can we verify as a starting place in this investigation?