Imagine this: it’s 3 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and your employees are getting ready to leave for the weekend. They’ve been working hard all week and they’re eager to clock out and start their weekends. But before they leave, they have some data-related housekeeping to take care of.
They quickly copy over some important files onto a USB drive, so they can work on them at home over the weekend. They send a few sensitive emails to their personal accounts, so they can access them from anywhere. And then, just as they’re about to leave, they remember one last thing: they need to print out some documents that contain sensitive information.
What your employees don’t realize is that each of these actions puts your data at risk. From copying files onto unsecured USB drives to printing out documents that could be left lying around, there are a number of ways that your employees’ habits can put your data at risk.
Here are seven of the worst offenders:
- Copying data onto unsecured USB drives: This is one of the most common ways that data is leaked outside of an organization. If an employee copies data onto a USB drive that is not properly secured, there is a risk that the data could be lost or stolen.
- Sending sensitive emails to personal accounts: If an employee sends sensitive data to their personal email account, they are essentially putting that data outside of your control. There is a risk that the data could be accessed by someone who should not have access to it.
- Printing out documents: If sensitive data is printed out, there is a risk that the documents could be left lying around and fall into the wrong hands.
- Downloading unapproved software: Employees may download unapproved software onto their work computers, which could put your data at risk. The software may not be properly secured and could allow unauthorized access to your data.
- Accessing data from unsecured devices: Employees may use their personal laptops, smartphones, or other devices to access sensitive data. If these devices are not properly secured, there is a risk that the data could be compromised.
- Sharing passwords: If employees share passwords with each other, there is a risk that the passwords could be compromised. This would give anyone who has the passwords access to your data.
- Storing data in unsecured locations: If employees store data in unsecured locations, such as on their desktops or in their email inboxes, there is a risk that the data could be accessed by unauthorized individuals.
These are just some of the ways that your employees’ habits can put your data at risk. To keep your data safe, it’s important to have policies and procedures in place to prevent these risks. If you’re not sure where to start, Tech Rockstars can help. They can assess your data security risks and help you develop a plan to mitigate them. For more information, visit their website at www.techrockstars.com today.