Your employees will be your company’s greatest asset, but it’s also important to remember that, just like most other things related to your business, they can also be a liability. This is especially the case when it comes to your company’s cybersecurity. While it’s all good and well having strong security practices at your business, they will only work effectively if everyone’s on the same page. A big percentage of data breaches come from human error; while you might be doing the right thing, one chink in the armour — any employee making a mistake — can lead to big problems.
In this blog, we’re going to look at some useful tips for managing the data aspects related to your employees.
Correct Training
It’s important that all employees know the correct procedures for keeping your company’s data safe. This all comes down to how well you train them. It’s tempting to fall into the belief that all your employees will be tech-savvy and know how to act correctly, but that won’t always be the case — there are some people that simply aren’t tech-minded, and they’ll be more likely to make mistakes that could lead to costly errors. As a general rule, you should make a habit of training all employees on a regular basis – new safety practices come up all the time, and your staff will need to know them!
Reporting Breaches
Even if your employees are well-trained, it’s always possible that someone will make an error that could lead to problems. The good news is that a potentially compromising situation can be controlled, providing you act swiftly. The issue with that is that it requires the employee that has made the error to speak up as soon as possible. As such, it’s best to let your staff know that making an error isn’t a big problem and that they should always let management know at the earliest opportunity. A lot of this will come down to your workplace culture – if an employee doesn’t feel comfortable speaking up, then why might try to avoid the issue.
Keeping Their Data Safe
While your staff should keep the company’s data safe, you also have an obligation to keep their data safe, too. Most companies only focus on their own data or the data of the customers, but it can be damaging for your employees if their data is exposed, too. Having high-quality software for HR will ensure that your employee’s information is kept safe in a secure location. Healthy data security practices isn’t a one-way street!
On the Road
In this day and age, more people than ever before are working at home or in other locations that are not the company’s main office. While you might have extensive safety measures at your workplace, that won’t automatically be the case, so make sure your team knows the correct way to act when they’re on the road/at home. You should also check that the equipment they’re using at home (such as personal laptops) is secure.
