January: the season of fresh starts—when we swear we’ll finally hit the gym, drink more water, and unearth last year’s journal from beneath a mountain of good intentions. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll put down our phones long enough to soak up some actual daylight. In the business world, January offers the perfect opportunity for a different kind of resolution: the one that keeps your competitors from getting their hands on your secret sauce or eggnog recipe (or any other trade secret) all year long.

That’s right—it’s time to give your trade secrets a New Year’s checkup (no gym membership required) with resolutions that will keep your company’s confidential know-how safe and sound. Each of the following New Year’s resolutions aligns with trade secret issues we regularly address.

Resolution #1: Organize My Trade Secrets For Real This Time

Unorganized trade secrets are like those fancy new weights you promise to start using every January—full of potential, but only effective if you use them and track your progress. If you can’t find them, can’t define them, or don’t know who has access, you’re setting your business up for the same fate as the thousands of abandoned New Year’s resolutions. Kick off the year by getting organized! Check out our earlier blog (here) for the trade secret recipe and practical tips on how to strengthen your IP protection efforts.

Start the new year by getting your trade secrets on a fitness program:

  • Take an inventory of confidential know-how
  • Identify what actually constitutes as a trade secret
  • Label and classify them—like you would evaluate and register your own fitness
  • Get ready to exercise them, like organizing your gym gear, lining up your weights, and scheduling your workout classes, ready to support your strongest year yet

Resolution #2: Strengthen My Access Controls

Kick off the new year by strengthening your company’s confidentiality core; luckily no workout regimen required! For tips on building a robust trade secret protection routine, check out our tips here.

Start the new year by putting your trade secret protections through a fitness bootcamp. Consider these exercises to keep your company’s information security in top shape:

  • Restrict access to a need-to-know basis— like booking a top spin class or clearing junk food from your pantry. Fewer temptations, tighter security, and your business stays lean all year
  • Implement two-factor authentication—think of it as having a spotter to make sure only the right people can lift your company’s valuable information
  • Set clear guidelines for what employees can store, download, or email—just as a gym posts rules for safe equipment use, set boundaries to protect your assets

Resolution #3: Train My Team—and Actually Follow Up

Teach your team that trade secret protection isn’t a “set it and forget it” deal—it’s the equivalent of committing to a regular gym routine for your business. Just like building strength takes consistent effort, keeping trade secrets safe means ongoing monitoring, training and engagement. We discussed best practices, including hosting confidentiality trainings, here and here.

Start the new year by giving your team’s knowledge a refresher workout. Consider these training ‘exercises’ to keep your trade secrets in shape:

  • Schedule regular, high-energy training sessions—essentially your team’s group fitness classes
  • Offer timely “form check” refreshers on spotting phishing emails, so everyone’s security skills stay strong
  • Remind employees what “confidential” really means and why it matters—like a trainer reinforcing form fundamentals at every practice

Resolution #4: Clean Up My Offboarding Process

A strong offboarding process is like a gym locker room-check at the end of a workout—make sure no company secrets are slipping out in someone’s gym bag or left behind on the bench. Start the new year by tightening your exit protocols and keeping your IP secure. We discussed the importance of having consistent exit protocols here and here.

This year, think of your offboarding process like a new gym routine—focus on these key exercises to strengthen your trade secrets protection:

  • Hold exit interviews and review confidentiality responsibilities— as your “cool-down” before anyone leaves the floor
  • Promptly revoke system access—think of it as re-racking weights so nothing is left unattended
  • Ensure all devices and documents are returned—just like checking the locker room so nothing valuable is left behind

Resolution #5: Actually Enforce My Policies

A policy you don’t enforce is like a gym membership you never use—a missed opportunity to build real strength. If someone mishandles a trade secret, respond with the same consistency as for a dedicated workout schedule—no empty threats or “maybe next time” resolutions. Start the new year by reviewing and enforcing your policies for maximum protection. We discussed the various policies you should consider for 2026, including AI Usage Policies, and the importance of updating existing policies here and here.

Treat your policies like a fitness plan in 2026—consider these moves to keep your trade secret protections in top shape:

  • Update IP policies to address AI access and usage
  • Clarify policies to set confidentiality expectations and data handling procedures for remote work
  • Promptly and consistently address policy violations—no exceptions

New Year, New Goals—Time to get your trade secret protection in shape.

With stronger policies and a disciplined approach, you can make 2026 the year your company’s confidentiality muscles truly flex. Happy New Year!

Here’s to a year of stronger trade secret protection— by getting and keeping your company’s secrets in peak condition!