In today's digital age, protecting private information has become more critical than ever. On the "Things I Want to Know" podcast, our guest shared some valuable insights into how firms can protect their corporate secrets from spying.

As the former world's #1 corporate spy and author of the true crime memoir "RUSE: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street," Robert Kerbeck has extensive experience in corporate espionage. He emphasized the importance of protecting valuable information and maintaining a culture of secrecy within a company.

"Steve Jobs put the fear of God into his employees," Kerbeck said. "Don't talk to anybody about what you're working on for us. Don't tell your wife. Don't tell your mother. Don't tell anybody, because if you do forget about just being. We're gonna prosecute you, we're gonna sue you."

Kerbeck explained that while Apple has developed a fantastic culture of protecting private information, most firms are not like that at all. He highlighted the risks of digital transparency, where young people have grown up in an era of oversharing and do not understand the value of the information they share.

"When somebody's in a company and they're trying to protect from corporate spying, the number one thing is whether it's a phish, what I call a ruse phone call, whether it's a text, whether it's an email, there's always an element of you need to do this now," Kerbeck warned.

He also shared his 32nd rule: "Anytime you get a funny phone call, funny text, funny email, you take 30 seconds and you don't do anything and you think. You put the device down, you put your phone down, you close your laptop, you walk away and you just think about it."

Kerbeck stressed that taking those extra seconds could be the difference between clicking on a malicious link and preventing a major security breach.

"Remember the five-second rule? We're a little older now. I feel like I can do a little bit better than five seconds. So I have a 32nd rule," he explained.

Overall, Kerbeck's experience in corporate espionage offers valuable lessons for businesses and individuals alike. Protecting sensitive information, developing a culture of secrecy, and taking extra caution when dealing with suspicious communication can all help prevent a security breach.