Confidentiality agreements are often the first step in protecting trade secrets. A good confidentiality agreement should be a communication tool that emphasizes to every person having access to the trade secret information that such information is valuable and should be kept secret. This may include employees, independent contractors, vendors, clients, and any other person or entity to whom the trade secret information is disclosed in the course of business. One of the most important parts of a confidentiality agreement is the description of what it is that is confidential. Specific descriptions of what must be kept secret, rather than boilerplate legalese, will prevent misunderstandings later.