Are Your Employees Putting Your Data Security at Risk?

By Rieva Lesonsky

Are you worried that employees’ online practices are putting your company data at risk? Breathe a sigh of relief: According to new research from Internet security service company Webroot, the first, 95 percent of workers say they respect the importance of their employer’s measures for protecting their network and customer information.

But don’t relax completely: Webroot did find that some 25 percent of employees have tried to bypass company security policies at some point. “Employees at all levels still introduce risk to a corporate network through activities like surfing the Web, shopping online, planning personal events and accessing personal email accounts while at work,” said Jacques Erasmus, chief information security officer for Webroot, in announcing the survey results.

• 89 percent of employees believe that their employers’ security policies help prevent infections or viruses on the company network.
• 75 percent agree security policies are a necessary evil.
• Just 7 percent of employees expressed concern that employers monitor their online activities.
• 61 percent said their employers’ security policies “never” or “rarely” make it harder to do their jobs.

Here are some of the security policies that companies use:

• Login password for company computers: 84 percent;
• Program download restrictions: 55 percent
• Restrictions on accessing network outside of the office: 37 percent
• Two-factor authentication for network or computer access: 20 percent

Of those who skirt around corporate security policies, younger employees (aged 18 to 29) were slightly more likely to do so. Some 15 percent had used a mobile device to do activities prohibited at work, compared to 6 percent overall. Twelve percent admitted they had accessed prohibited sites from a mobile device, compared to 5 percent overall. And 6 percent had manipulated browser settings, compared to 3 percent overall.

If you want to tighten your Web security policies, here are four steps Webroot security experts recommend:

1. Define security policies – With a new generation of Web-based attacks, spyware, adware and webmail‑borne viruses, it’s more important than ever to develop well-thought-out and clearly defined web security policies.
2. Embrace social media – Social networks are new mediums for digital threats to your business. Build these into your policy and create rules that allow employees to harness the benefits of these new technologies while protecting your business.
3. Clearly communicate your policies – Regularly communicate policies as well as IT and security issues to your staff.
4. Block threats before they reach your network – Using a cloud-based Web security service can protect mobile employees as if they were at the office, while monitoring and enforcing your Web security policies.

Image by Flickr user Dusk Photography (Creative Commons)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 at 6:00 am and is filed under Business Law, Compliance, Small Business, small business, social media, Technology, Workforce. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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