A study conducted in the United Kingdom and released this summer by the global risk management and security firm Control Risks provided some interesting insights for communications managers around the globe.

The study found that – among other things – a majority of those surveyed have heard people talking in public about sensitive business information, left a thumb drive lying on a desk, read proprietary information on public transportation, and engaged in a host of other seemingly innocent habits that could potentially have a disastrous impact on crisis or other high stakes communications campaigns.

The major takeaway for professional communicators is that every high stakes communications team should establish security rules, stick to them religiously, and appoint an enforcer to ensure policies are followed from the word go.

One of the most significant foundations of a crisis firm’s brand is the fact that it can be trusted to keep confidences when times are at their worst. As such, security vigilance and discipline during a crisis must be considered just as vital as messaging, speed, and agility in the midst of a high-profile engagement.

Write your e-mails as if someone other than the intended audience will read them. Never leave overly detailed voice mails. Remember that your voice carries when using your mobile phone. And act as if nothing is ever fully erased from your computer.

Should a client’s privileged information get out on your watch, it won’t matter that the leak was unintentional. At the end of the day, the result is the same – and your firm will soon be facing a crisis of its own.