HR File: Top five tips for data security

Technology is more prolific in the world of business than ever before, allowing (among other things) employees to work wherever they choose with full access to company files. But with this increased freedom comes greater risk that sensitive company data will fall into the wrong hands.

1 Train your staff in data security:

‘The weakest link in any company when it comes to security is the end user,’ Meredith told HR magazine. ‘It’s so easy to socially engineer someone to give up information such as their password, or to trick them into clicking on an unsafe link in an email. A user could unwittingly give someone access to your network resources, which could include your customer database or financial information. In this way your weakest link is also your first line of defence.’ Prevention is better than cure, so make sure your employees know how to handle data safely and test them regularly. You could, for example, call a staff member pretending to be from the IT department and ask for their login details. You will know their training has been successful if they ask for proof of your identity before handing over their sensitive information.