How does one value a database?
Discussion
I have a client with an up to date database of 300,000 british customers. All the enties are up to date and are qualified financially. I reckon its his comany's single most valuable asset, but then again I don't know what the value is. Are there any basic rules for valuing a database of this sort, or valuing the company that owns it?
Andy
Andy
Depended what you mean by valuing it. I take it he wants to rent it out to non-competitive companies rather than actually sell it? If so, then an average rental value is around £100/000 with additional charges for each selction you make of between £10-£25/000 dependant on the complexity of said selection.
There are a lot of lists being rented out so it would need to have some sort of usp to make it marketable.
Email me if you want to talk further.
There are a lot of lists being rented out so it would need to have some sort of usp to make it marketable.
Email me if you want to talk further.
I've been advising a rectruitment company about database valuation. Any day now certain newspapers are going to be printing the story. In short, an employee left the company taking the company's database of all their people (who they place) and all their customers. In three years the company's t/o has plummeted from £20m to £3m. I've done some company valuations and they're about to sue the competitor for loss of earnings and and loss of company value.
srebbe64 said:
I've been advising a rectruitment company about database valuation. Any day now certain newspapers are going to be printing the story. In short, an employee left the company taking the company's database of all their people (who they place) and all their customers. In three years the company's t/o has plummeted from £20m to £3m. I've done some company valuations and they're about to sue the competitor for loss of earnings and and loss of company value.
Not Surrey based by any chance are they?
Recruitment is well known for this sort of scam.
Plotloss said:
srebbe64 said:
I've been advising a rectruitment company about database valuation. Any day now certain newspapers are going to be printing the story. In short, an employee left the company taking the company's database of all their people (who they place) and all their customers. In three years the company's t/o has plummeted from £20m to £3m. I've done some company valuations and they're about to sue the competitor for loss of earnings and and loss of company value.
Not Surrey based by any chance are they?
Recruitment is well known for this sort of scam.
London based. When it goes public (Friday, Saturday or Sunday I believe) I'll try and post a link.
Yes, that sector is terrible for this sort of thing and this particular situation is thought to be a new UK record for losses due to database theft. Hence the media interest. The victim plans to generate as much publicity as possible to highlight the issue and cause embarrassment to the alleged perpetrator. Talking to the bloke (really nice guy) he's been utterly turned-over it seems. I feel for him.
I think your jumping the gun a bit here bjwoods. While I agree that there are some shocking examples of data security out there, this case is talking about theft which has cost the company £17m in t/o. Hardley likely to be a case of someone copying an access file onto a floppy.
Without wishing to speculate, I'd hazard a guess that the thief would have been quite high up to put the data to such use, in which case it may very well have been a case of simply asking the IT guys for a backup to put in the safe.
Without wishing to speculate, I'd hazard a guess that the thief would have been quite high up to put the data to such use, in which case it may very well have been a case of simply asking the IT guys for a backup to put in the safe.
srebbe64 said:
I reckon if you're determined to steal a database, and you work for the company concerned, then there is no 100% protection. You could even bring the data on screen and print screen - after a few weeks "voila".
I reckon I could design a robust system to prevent anyone stealing a database. With the right sotware and hardware plus a strong security regime it is possible. It would cost a fair bit more but if your paranoid enough and are willing to make the investment it's doable.
rpguk said:
I think your jumping the gun a bit here bjwoods. While I agree that there are some shocking examples of data security out there, this case is talking about theft which has cost the company £17m in t/o. Hardley likely to be a case of someone copying an access file onto a floppy.
Without wishing to speculate, I'd hazard a guess that the thief would have been quite high up to put the data to such use, in which case it may very well have been a case of simply asking the IT guys for a backup to put in the safe.
Without wishing to speculate, I'd hazard a guess that the thief would have been quite high up to put the data to such use, in which case it may very well have been a case of simply asking the IT guys for a backup to put in the safe.
Can't comment about that company.. beyond an observation that lots of other business are poor at this.
But i personally know of many comapnies small medium and large where security was poor or non existant, or where there was in place completely in the hands of third parties, or accesible o contractors with very few checks...
just look at all the data theft going on in the banking world at the moment.
B
Agree entierly there. I did some work for a company some years ago, who's web site was lovely to look at from the client side, except the order and card details were then forwarded through a form2mail script to the companies general email address accessable to just about anyone. Then printed out and given to the order department and stored in a folder. There must have been a thousand sheets of paper each contining full credit card details, addresses CV2 details etc. The folders containing these was left hanging around on a shelf in the storeroom/lunchroom where anyone could pick it up!
The point I was making above was more towards the fact that even with the best technological solution, data can be taken using social engineering techniques.
The point I was making above was more towards the fact that even with the best technological solution, data can be taken using social engineering techniques.
Edited by rpguk on Friday 20th October 19:53
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