Coke case could spur review of security policies

In the Coke case, Joya Williams, 41, an administrative assistant who worked for the director of global brand marketing at Coca-Cola was the source of the trade secrets that were to be sold, prosecutors charged on Wednesday.

Video surveillance showed Williams at her desk going through files in search of documents and stuffing them in her bags, prosecutors said.

While the episode highlights the importance of simple security measures such as locking up confidential documents, it also puts the spotlight on thorough background searches of employees of all levels, surveillance experts said.

"A lot of times companies say 'This person is just a secretary and I don't need to do everything on them as far as screening,"' said Jason Morris, president of employee screening firm Background Information Services. "Your secretary may not have the keys to the safe but he or she may have access to your CEO's e-mails, which could have the formula for a Coke product in them."

Not the safe, just the master key...