A data leak, a press report, the departure of a defining figure: on its own, much of this can be managed. It becomes dangerous when staff start interpreting each other's behaviour.
How a crisis of confidence develops
The pattern resembles a run on a bank. As long as everyone stays, the organisation is stable. Once a few leave, everyone else faces the same question: what do they know that I do not? Each further departure increases the uncertainty until a justified concern becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In autumn 2026, a long-established international law firm with around 1,200 lawyers went down this path within a few weeks, triggered by a handful of prominent departures and failed merger talks.
Why this is a security issue
The phase in which people resign inwardly is the phase of greatest insider risk. In the Bitkom survey Wirtschaftsschutz 2026, 19 percent of affected companies name deliberately acting (former) employees as perpetrators. In a crisis, several things come together that increase this risk:
- People who want to leave take client relationships, documents and knowledge with them.
- Competitors and headhunters approach key people directly.
- Journalists look for sources, and disappointed staff are good sources.
- Old grievances surface, and loyalty becomes a calculation.
What counts in the first days
- Leadership speaks personally with the people whose departure would pull others along, before headhunters do.
- Clear, honest internal communication instead of silence. Silence is always read as a bad sign.
- A protocol for departures: access, documents, conversations.
- Clear rules for enquiries from the media and competitors.
- Coordination with legal and communications advisers from the start.
Trust cannot be created in a crisis, only preserved. Organisations that invested in loyalty and open reporting routes beforehand have a head start. For everyone else, what counts is how quickly leadership recognises the human dynamics and acts.
Further reading: Bitkom, Wirtschaftsschutz 2026 · NPSA, Role-based risk assessment
