In a millennial world, employee turnover is more prevalent than ever. People change jobs frequently, and hire per project, not for a lifetime. The constant turnover will leave your data vulnerable if you aren’t careful. Cybersecurity measures are a must, but you also need to pay attention to employee behaviors to stay one step ahead of a potential data breach.
Pay attention to network activity
Whether it’s a disgruntled employee trying to steal data or an outsider trying to cause trouble, there are always warning signs. Make sure that you or your IT department is always aware of who is accessing your data. There are preventative measures that will keep out people who shouldn’t have access. But sometimes, employees with access will also try to sneak a bit of data to take with them.
Unusual transfer of files
Any unusual activity on your network is worth checking out. If you all of a sudden notice that there has been an unusual number of downloads to clouds or to USBs and external hard drives, you may want to investigate. The timing of the transfers can also be a red flag. Although you may have people working remotely in various time zones, if you are on top of the usual activities on your network, any unusual activity should be easy to spot.
Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. There could be perfectly legitimate reasons for unusual file transfers and network activity, but it’s better to be sure than wake up to data theft.
Email activity
The email activity is another warning sign. If an employee is leaving whether voluntarily, ending contracts, or layoffs, some may try to take some data with them. If all of a sudden you detect a spike in email activity you should be concerned.
Access and back-ups
Make sure that you change all your passwords frequently. Make sure that any employee who is leaving is denied access to your network. Protect your most sensitive, proprietary, and financial information with VLANs or extra encryptions. Limit the number of people who are authorized to access your most vital data.
In the event of theft or a data breach, make sure you have a good back-up plan, so you are always able to regain data that may have been stolen or compromised.