When it comes to the security of business data, many managers rightfully focus safety of their customer’s data. However, you must also consider your employee’s data. Many companies have lots of data about their employees, including social security numbers and dates of birth. Part of protecting employees involves keeping their data and privacy safe and respected.
Set up Private WiFi Networks
Most businesses have already set up private WiFi for their employees, but not all have yet. WiFi networks are an increasingly vulnerable way for hackers to get private data from employees. By offering a private WiFi network for your employees, you can help to protect their data. Instead of all customers having access to the WiFi network, only those with authorization from your company can have access to the network.
Properly Dispose of Information
When you’re upgrading equipment, you’re likely going to have a lot of old equipment you’ll have to get rid of. This old equipment can be your biggest threat as its very common for people to forget that there are highly sensitive data on those pieces of equipment. You should be undergoing protective measures like hard drive destruction to get rid of private data in a safe and efficient way.
Restrict Access
The smaller the group of people that have access to an employee’s sensitive data, the less likely the information will be exposed. If you store employee information in a specific database, take the time to restrict that specific part of the database to only those who need readily available access to the information. This will be people that work in your HR department and possibly top-level executives.
Require Multi-Layer Authentication
One of the best strategies to deter the theft of employee confidential information is to employ a multi-layer authentication system. This type of system requires all of your employees to create multiple layers of protection when logging into company databases and equipment. For example, their first level of authentication may be a simple password, while the second may be a fingerprint. There are many different authentication methods you can utilize.
An important part of any business is protecting your employee’s information. When you do it right, you can eliminate the risk of having to deal with a large potential lawsuit. When employees feel safe about the security your company offers, it attracts top talent. The above four methods are great measures to take to protect the privacy of your employees. Realize that the more measures you take into account, the less likely you are to deal with information theft issues.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
