The company is a traditional capitalistic enterprise, after profit and power. Their particular area of expertise is in the protection of assets, political efforts, and lobbying for less regulation of their activities.
Behavior
Image is very important to the company, both their public existence as a reputable company and the reputation with the underworld. They keep a layer of separation between both these existences.
They pay debts on time and the majority of the time work contracts to the letter. This of course has other sides to it but for the most part their public facing enterprises work true to the spirit of contracts, agreements and the like. Private facing enterprises have a paper trail but are cloaked in legal protections such as NDA’s, mostly doing business with other parties who have something to hide in such cases so neither side wishes to be exposed. They are not above creating something to hide, but would much prefer to find a dark secret rather than make one.
They are opportunistic and strategic, adept at finding ways to align their public image with their private goals. The company has executives in positions throughout who know about both sides of the company life and use that knowledge to scope out potential resources for each. This will mean the company will often invent a reason to stick around an area for some PR responses that tend to be a little more than is generally done, but just shy of being suspicious.
Public scandals are not tolerated and swiftly punished. This can give the impression of a moral company that takes such things seriously. The company spins it as an example of how a for-profit organization can work for the good of all. There is criticism that they are too harsh.
While most low level people have little to worry about, higher level executives need to be careful and watchful.
They do a lot of philanthropic work which is entirely legitimate. Sometimes this work is used to scout places and people for less legal activities.
They spend a lot of money and time on lobbying and legal work, specifically on the idea that regulation stifles innovation. The argument is often used that such regulation is no longer needed because it solves for problems that were solved centuries ago.
They inspire debt where they can, social debt, political debt, money is less important. The kind of debt used for favors.
They use shell companies often to hide activities and give themselves distance from activities they do.
History
Originating with the Coalition of Planets in the 22nd century, it was founded as a cabal of business leaders from several worlds coming together to help ensure profit and opportunity. Used by Section 31 very early on as a civilian arm, mostly for lobbying and legal services. The company grew to offer quasi-legal services to big businesses, especially as Earth was transitioning into a socialist structure.
At that time the company focused particularly on legal services and information cleaning. These would go on to form the core business – protection from legal / political challenge. Over the next century they would build an archive of political secrets to use when needed.
In the 23rd century the business began to branch out into legitimate opportunities. Particularly in the the industries of mining, colonization supports, station administration, and commodities / information trading. These efforts would form a solid financial footing for the company to continue.
Moving into the 24th century the company expanded further into areas of planetary surveying, research into artificial intelligence, data storage / processing, and communications management. These would form the basis for their information gathering / trading operations. During the Dominion War they opened several private security subsidiaries for different markets, many were even used by Starfleet when their own security personnel were spread thin.
Employees
The company has essentially two different organizations within. The legitimate businesses follow most of the tenants for life in the Federation. That being progressive social protections for all and working to the benefit of everyone. From this side of the corporation they are able to recruit using normal means and provide very good benefits to employees for their services.
The other side is very different. Here they prey on people who are in need, passing efforts off as outreach to economically disadvantaged areas. They particularly look to the outskirts of society.
It is the other level that is much different. They will target outcasts, orphans, the mentally ill or unstable. Anyone in need of belonging and they dangle that like a carrot on a string. They will use treatment and services to make people more in need of their sense of belonging and then hide those people away to maintain their image.
They will leave and use existing drug addiction as a method to boost loyalty. But it will never be the singular layer, it will always be a component and a broader scope of psychological warfare. The end goal is to make sure these type of employees must do as they’re told. If for no other reason, and because they have nowhere else to go.
The search for employees in this way, can look like outreach. And that is what they want people to think. They would like everyone to think that they are taking the less fortunate and giving them an opportunity. There will always be a few poster children of this view, to show off to press or anyone else. All the majority will be quietly hidden away for whatever illegal activities the group needs.
These are the people they use to do illegal things convincing people that no one would ever help them if they left.
Reputation
The company is known to be ruthless in its pursuit of territory, property, and other interests and there is a certain amount of fear in their legal and political maneuvering. Also known to be generous to their employees and doing a lot of philanthropic work. At least, publically.
Within some circles their illegal activities are well known through rumor and innuendo. They are a juggernaut and using them in any way comes with a price, usually in the form of a quid-pro-quo situation. Their vast archive of secrets is an incredibly powerful tool and they will use it – if they have to. This fear of reprisal stretches out to their private security arm, which is both well funded and well trained.
They are also very patient.