~by Eileen O’Shanassy~.
Every company has weak spots where criminals and competitors may seek to gain access to sensitive information that can damage the company or the lives of one or more employees. Although many business owners and administrators know where to look for security problems, some are unaware of the following three weak access areas.
Reception Desk
Reception is not secure simply because a receptionist can “see” who comes in and out of the building. Reception desks actually open a company up to a wide range of theft scenarios, including computer password and proprietary data theft. In many cases, the theft happens while a receptionist is distracted by a client, phone call, or package delivery. To improve security, make certain that the reception desk features a high front counter that wraps in a U-shape around the desk to make it harder for people to see items on it and locked reception desk swing gates to prevent people from easily slipping behind the desk.
Employee Computers
Another weak spot involves multiple computer security issues. Many companies continue to use old computers and software with outdated security. These computers do not have the modern security tools needed to block hackers and data theft, including updated antivirus software and Wi-Fi security. There has also been a big surge of employee Internet security problems in recent years. You should set up all computers to prevent employees from purposely or accidentally downloading software off the Internet that has not been approved by the company. Also, check your employees’ social media accounts. Some employees might accidentally post proprietary or unannounced information to their accounts or content that can damage your company’s reputation, such as images of them committing illegal acts or negative statements about the company.
Health Data
If your Human Resources department stores hard copies of any health information about employees for insurance purposes on-site, then you have a huge potential identity theft weak spot in your company’s security. It is far easier for an identity thief to create a false identity when they have a lot of personal details to use, especially health details. Scan all this data and then store it electronically via one or more health data storage programs with EHR migration capabilities. As for the hard copies: Store them in a secure off-site location.
You do not need security expertise to detect and fix weak access points. You merely need to implement these and similar changes today, and then continue to watch out for security weaknesses going forward.
Meet the Author: Eileen O’Shanassy
Eileen O’Shanassy is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Flagstaff, AZ. She writes on a variety of topics and loves to research and write. She enjoys baking, biking and kayaking. Check her out on Twitter @eileenoshanassy.
