~by Kara Masterson~
Could your employees be at risk for identity theft on your watch? Train them to keep up with the increased dangers of cyber hacking and identity theft with a few quick guidelines.
Here are 5 Ways to Help Your Employees Keep Their Personal Information Personal
Could your employees be at risk for identity theft on your watch? Train them to keep up with the increased dangers of cyber hacking and identity theft with a few quick guidelines.
Password Protection
Remind your employees to keep their passwords for work-related and personal information strong and long. A mix of lower and uppercase letters, numerals and special symbols is highly recommended. Install software which requires a change of password at regular intervals.
Email Safety
Instruct your crew on the safe handling of suspicious emails and other types of pop-up messages. When opened, these can introduce viruses or malware which eat away safety measures and expose sensitive data. Send anything not properly labeled for your business to the trash.
Education and Computer Use
Outside training from companies that present HIPPA compliance materials may be beneficial for employee training and education. Clear, concise guidelines are presented to protect sensitive information for medical patients, but this training is highly applicable to businesses, customers and employees. By properly teaching your employers and providing necessary HIPAA training, you can help make sure that you keep your employees’ identities safe.
Also, make sure that your business has clear policies on computer and internet use on company time. Computers, servers, data drives or phones owned by your company should be covered in the policy. Ensure the employees understand what they may and may not do on company equipment. Instruct employees to pay personal bills or access social media on their own computers and on their own time to reduce the risk of identity theft issues while on the job. When it comes to security like this, you want your employees to be as safe as possible. That is why having your workers properly trained in safety is such a good idea. There are so many different benefits of security awareness training. It can really help make your employees feel safer at work.
Report Lost or Stolen Items
Phones (personal or business phones), badges, ID cards, jump drives, or other personal belongings should be reported lost or stolen as soon as they are noted to be missing. Cancel services associated with these devices and hunt down missing computer components immediately to help prevent identity theft.
Shred or Burn
Hard copy items like paycheck stubs, tax forms and personal communications should be shredded or burned. Invest in a quality shredder to save headaches and many dollars in identity recovery services down the road. Consult a lawyer or legal content website on how long paper files should be kept for your employee files, and then destroy those unneeded files after the allotted time has passed.
Overall, the most beneficial way to help your employees thwart identity theft is education. Help them understand the serious consequences of this crime, and train them to take positive steps to protect themselves and your business.
Meet the Author: Kara Masterson
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max.
