Are Your Employees Stealing Company Data?

Are Your Employees Stealing Company Data?

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How much trust do you have in your employees? On average, around 59% of employees will steal company data while they're working or after they leave a company.

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We often think of cybercrime as being linked to some sort of unknown malicious actor who attempts to hack into your systems, however, a big chunk of cybercrime occurs from inside jobs.

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Current employees and past employees may be stealing sensitive data from you or your business and using it for profit.

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Why Are Employees Stealing Data?

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Verizon noted that 28% of all breaches are from inside jobs. A big issue that leads to these security breaches is the fact that too much sensitive company information is  shared with employees. This information is often unnecessary for them to access, however, it is presented to them openly and this can be a huge security flaw for companies.

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A Ponemon report showed that 75% of employees have access to files that they shouldn't be able to see. By selling this sensitive information to competitors, your employees could be profiting heavily off of your private data.

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The more access you give to all your employees, the easier it is for you to get breached and for your systems to get compromised.
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Additionally, some employees may have the belief that their customer data and other files that they create belongs to them. In these instances, employees may feel that they're able to dictate where this information goes and who is able to see it leading them to believe that it is okay to monetize it for personal gain.

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What Can You Do To Prevent Employee Theft?

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The first and most important thing you can do is to educate your employees about company security policies, cybersecurity hygiene, and current practices. Sometimes, employees don't mean to maliciously steal company data, however, they could be crossing some lines as the rules and security practices aren't laid out clearly to them.

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Another thing you could do is encourage your employees to speak out if they notice any suspicious behaviour amongst other employees. Sometimes your employees don't feel safe reporting others, so it's crucial to remind them that you will keep their identity anonymous if they do come forward.

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Ensure you're monitoring your employees and letting them know that you are watching without infringing upon their privacy. This is a good way to keep your employees in check without making them feel surveilled.
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Sometimes the biggest threat to your company data is someone who is a part of your business. That's why you need to ensure your company data has layers of security and accessibility.

We can help you with securing your company data. We monitor for suspicious activity, help educate you and your staff on safe security practices, and we also search for vulnerabilities in your systems so we can patch them up before a breach can occur.

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Sign up HERE.