Information Security
In speaking with our customers throughout all of Oregon and Washington we find that, to them, the biggest threat to their information’s security is outsiders breaking in. Many organizations and companies fail to realize that when it comes to information security their biggest asset is also their biggest liability. That’s right. A company’s own employees pose the greatest risk of information breach and exposure. No, this doesn’t mean that your employees are pulling an inside job or that they are out to get you. The most common source of a data breach is simply through the carelessness of an unwitting employee.
Here are some three tips you can implement in your own organization today to help train your employees to safeguard the company’s information more effectively:
1. Give access rights to only those who actually need it.
Keep important files and databases out of reach of employees who simply do not need access to it. The more people you give data access to the more chances you have of someone leaking it. That is, keep information on a need-to-know basis. You can take it even one step further and give read-only rights to those employees who don’t need to manipulate data. That way you can avoid the risk of data being corrupted, deleted, or inappropriately modified.
2. Create a strict “shred only” rule.
One common source of breach is when employees who are trying to be environmentally friendly choose to recycle documents instead of shredding it because they aren’t sure how sensitive the documents are. This problem can be solved in a flash. Since Shred Northwest recycles all the paper that it shreds you don’t have to worry about the “green” side of things. Just implement a rule that requires all employees to shred anything that would otherwise be thrown away or recycled.
3. Beware the dangers of social media in the workplace.
While banning the use of social media in the workplace isn’t necessary, employees should be trained about what is and what is not appropriate to post from the office. You’d be surprised how many employees post confidential information on their social media accounts at work. Of course they do this unintentionally, but precautions must be taken to mitigate this risk.
Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to put in place all the necessary procedures to keep your organization running smoothly. That goes without saying. But don’t fret too much; many businesses outsource this aspect of the business so that they can focus on the things they do best.
At Shred Northwest we can take the sting out of information security and make sure you are compliant with all the applicable rules and regulations. We make life easy again. After all, every shred is a little victory!