Here is a fscked up story... (the sad part, is that it is true).

In January of this year, my company's marketing department asked me to give a talk at a conference being held in Lake Las Vegas, NV, during the first week of May. I agreed, and the topic was set for me, that of "Insider Attacks, the anatomy of an Inside Attack, and how to stop one.".

I asked our marketing group if there was a presentation started, or completed on this topic, and I was told that I would have to create it from "scratch", but if I needed any assistance to ask the marketing department.

Fast forward to about 3 weeks before the conference. I spoke to the marketing department, and asked them for assistance creating my presentation, as I had to deal with some family emergencies, and was running out of time. I received no assistance. I then spent every waking moment researching insider risk, and the risks associated with insider loss. I learned quite a bit, and have several hundred links to pertinent data on the web. Including information from the aforementioned IDR.

Now, fast forward to the presentation. It went flawlessly. As a matter of fact, there were approximately 80 people in the room, and 20 or so more in the hallway, watching with the doors wide open.

The next day, my company asked me to present the material again, as there were too many people who missed it. I reluctantly agreed, and put on another presentation. During the 2nd presentation, there was someone there that took the data back to the IDR.

Part of the presentation includes a slide that shows the Insider Attack Variables, including, Corporate environment and culture. Since the IDR's previous incident was caused by someone not performing their due diligence on 50 fraudulent companies, thereby allowing these companies to freely PURCHASE data from the IDR and commit fraud, I used their loss as an example.

I stated, "The [IDR Company Name] incident was caused, in part, by a company culture that was more focused on making sales numbers, than it was to vet the companies it was selling information to." The individual in the audience that took the data back to the IDR made some aggregious claims, that I was "mocking" them. This was not the case. I mentioned several other companies in the presentation, and wasn't mocking anyone.

However, the IDR claimed that my comments were slanderous, and their attorney began harrassing me on the phone. I then went to my internal company resources, who, took all of my information, and then put me on administrative leave.

Today, I find out that the company president went down to the Atlanta IDR's offices, and spoke with their President and legal council, and apparently, arranged a settlement agreement, on my behalf, that does not allow me to ever use the IDR's name again. (Hint, it located in Atlanta.) Part of the meeting, alledgedly included an email message from the person in the 2nd meeting, making statements that I had either been drinking or was drunk. (Neither of which were true, I hadn't had anything to drink until Thursday night after the presentations were over.)

Well, in addition, the company that I work for now is terminating me, and claiming that I have to sign the IDR's document, (that they negotiated as part of their settlement), and of course, another document, forbidding me to speak about this issue.

Well, I'm calling several attorneys on Monday, and just wanted you all to know how fucked this has all become.

The interesting question, if none of this were true, why would the IDR care?

but, in my grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.

On a side note, if you know of any jobs, gimme a call.