Human error is most commonly the cause of data breaches, but sometimes, we can forget that data breaches can also be caused by the malicious intention of those who you once trusted. When an employee no longer works for your organization, it’s important to take measures that will prevent any type of data to be leaked.
A survey done by Harris Interactive found that one in five people who work in an office setting would take company information like data, price lists, and product plans if they knew they were about to be fired. This is something that cannot be controlled after the fact but needs to be addressed during an employee’s onboarding. Your company’s HR and legal teams should be in sync to form a coordinated policy that prohibits an employee from taking data, information, and lists whether they are terminated or leave on their own accord.
As a business owner, it might also be a good idea to create an “off-boarding” process, too. A detailed log should be kept of who has access and passwords to platforms that your company uses. When an employee is terminated or leaves on their own accord, those passwords should be changed less than twenty-four hours after the separated no longer works for the company. This will ensure that the employee cannot gain access to the private information of the company and your clients. In the same survey done by Harris Interactive, they found that sixteen percent of office workers who have left a company can still log into the employer’s network with the same username and password they once used when they were an employee there. This can be very dangerous for your organization and can be prevented by terminating access and changing passwords once an employee no longer works for your organization.
Don’t allow your company to fall victim to data breach because of a disgruntled or former employee. You can go a long way to doing that by putting policies and procedures in place before something happens. Being proactive on security is of the upmost importance when it comes to your business.
LibertyID is the leader in identity theft restoration having restored the identities of tens of thousands of individuals without fail. If you retain personal information on your customers, now it is time to get data breach planning and a response program in place with our LibertyID for Small Business data breach defense program. With LibertyID Enterprise you can now add value to existing products, services, or relationships by covering your customers, employees, or members—at a fraction of our retail price—with no enrollment and no file sharing. We have no direct communication with your group members–until they need us.
Call us now for a no obligation proposal at 844-411-LIBERTY (844-411-5423).