Don’t Fire That Employee Just Yet!

We’ve all heard the rumors. Like the one where the disgruntled employee hacked into the company website and deleted thousands of files.

Or maybe you’ve seen the movie Office Space where three unhappy employees create an internal virus to steal money.

Realistically, most employees are well-meaning, honest people. While your company is probably more likely to be a victim of an “oops” than an insider attack, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Build a strong security policy. Your policy should define what info is private. It should also include specific guidance that improper use or sharing of internal documents is forbidden. Have your employees sign this.

Watch out for unlicensed software. If you think malware is costly, you should see the fines for unlicensed software. Most calls to the Business Software Alliance come from angry former employees. Your company can’t afford to ignore this threat.

Protect yourself from malware. If an employee was to launch a malicious attack, would your network survive? Whether your employees are happy or not, don’t risk having unprotected endpoints. Invest in a solution that protects multiple endpoints….especially one that protects against zero-day and targeted attacks.

Finally, this may sound obvious, but don’t disgruntle your employees. Treat your staff with respect. Listen to your people when they have ideas and complaints. At the end of the day we are all human, and we want to be treated fairly. When dismissing an employee, don’t hit them with the door on the way out. Thank them for their contributions.  You just may be glad you did!

To learn more about how to prevent insider threats from affecting your business, attend an upcoming webinar titled: Managing Insider Threats: 4 Risks You Need to Mitigate