Employees. Any business bigger than a house garage will usually have some. A business-minded person could probably list out many traits a perfect worker should have including productivity, flexibility, and loyalty. Despite that, we all know everyone makes mistakes, and no one ever really fits the “perfect” standard we expect of employees. According to Statista’s study on the number of data breaches in the United States from 2005–2018, 50% of U.S. companies reported having malicious insiders leaking information. Even more, honest employees can easily misclassify data or leak information without bad intent.
This is especially evident when it comes to the end of the day. The clock hits 5, the employee has 30 files that need classification, and home is 20 or so minutes away. Clearly, these files are not going to have the same careful examination that would happen in the middle of the workday.
Although we expect perfection, the simple truth is our employees will not always classify their information correctly. In light of that, here are some preventative measures you can take to keep your data safe:
1.) Train your employees about data classification
This one seems like a no-brainer, but too many times we hear of companies without any protocols about what data should be restricted and what data should not. More often than not, data that should be confidential to the public somehow gets through the cracks. In order to prevent that from happening, it is best to let your employees know why they need to be careful with their data. Financials, client information, company agreements — all these get leaked on the daily without the bat of an eye. Take some time to tell your employees about your security goals and how they can help to meet them.
2.) Automatically classify your company data
We here at Kriptos firmly believe proper data classification is vital for a company’s security. For this reason, we developed a software which can automatically classify the data for your employees so they don’t have to. More importantly, the employee at the end of their shift will not put your company in danger of a leak by rushing their work.
With the application of machine learning, employees will also have more time to work on other projects. Without having to worry about all the security logistics, your IT department will be able to use their other skills, including product development and deeper security. In other words, more time means more employee potential.
3.) Know which areas of your company are at risk
As we all know, prevention is the best medicine. If your company has data leaks, you need to know where they come from. Each department has varying levels of risk. For example, your financial and marketing most likely deal with more confidential information than your social media plans. You need to budget accordingly, and fortunately our software can tell you automatically what areas are at risk. Make sure you do not waste money on areas that need less security.
We all know employees are the backbone of our companies. Make sure to take care they don’t cause you problems too. Make effort to enforce security protocols and utilize automation to free your employees up for other projects.
This post was thanks to Kriptos.
