| This probably is one of the most uncomfortable | | | | you are on solid ground before you make your |
| employee relation issue a business owner or manager | | | | suspicions known or state any accusations is also |
| faces. Our human nature is to trust those that we | | | | very important. Putting in place adequate security tools |
| work with especially since we spend so much of our | | | | that provide you with these controls and information |
| daily time working together. We call our co-workers | | | | needs to be in the forefront of your security policy. |
| friends, we know their families and we rely on each | | | | In 2008 one of the most damaging theft opportunities |
| other to produce quality results for the common good | | | | comes from the theft of information. Almost everyone |
| of the company. Why then should we as owners and | | | | carries a memory storage device. They come in the |
| managers need to protect our assets from our | | | | form of cell phones, music players, USB Drives, SD |
| employees? As unpleasant as it may be, nearly $40 | | | | Cards, CD, DVD writable disks and so on. They |
| billion of company assets from inventory to intellectual | | | | connect to your computers by hardwire, Blue Tooth or |
| property and confidential information is stolen from | | | | IrDA technology. They hold information in the 100's of |
| small businesses across this country each year. As a | | | | Gigabytes and can do untold damage; just 1 Gigabyte |
| small business owner or if you are in a position of | | | | is equal to 1024MBs. Just 27MB of data equals the |
| responsibility for a company's assets, you know that | | | | volume of information commonly found in one 4 |
| this subject demands attention and needs to be on | | | | drawer office filing cabinet. On top of this, your honest |
| your radar. With the uncertainty of the economy, | | | | employee could accidentally infect your computer |
| additional stresses placed on employees can add to | | | | system with malware simply by connecting their |
| these problems. As employees feel pressured from | | | | memory device to play music brought from home. |
| rising cost of living, threats warranted or not, of | | | | Products like USB Lock ST or USB Lock RP are |
| downsizing and job instability, have historically shown | | | | designed to provide the endpoint security necessary to |
| employee theft to increase. | | | | allow you control of this potential problem and needs |
| Discovering a theft by an employee naturally leaves a | | | | to be a part of your active computer security plan. |
| small business owner feeling a deep sense of being | | | | You don't need to be an IT professional to install and |
| violated. But do you have time to even notice? | | | | manage this type of security tool and the cost is not |
| Reportedly 75% of all employee theft goes unnoticed. | | | | overwhelming. But it will allow you or your manager the |
| As a small business owner you don't have time to be | | | | administrative control over authorized and unauthorized |
| a security guard, making it a must to have a complete | | | | use of memory storage devices. There are times |
| security policy in place. Just as it is important to lock | | | | when the use of these memory devices will be |
| the door on your way out, it is important to know that | | | | authorized so Advanced Systems Internationals, SAC |
| your employees are following your company security | | | | products include tools that provide a log of files |
| policies. It is a breakdown in your security policy that | | | | removed and another tool to protect your data while |
| commonly allows a theft to happen, making it | | | | being transported on a memory device that is taken |
| necessary to have checks and balances in place. | | | | home or out on the road. If you didn't know that 77% |
| Quite often a misguided employee won't even look at | | | | of corporate end-users surveyed have admitted to |
| some theft as actually stealing. This is why you need | | | | using personal flash drives for work-related purposes, |
| to remove the opportunity to steal. In the security | | | | you're not the only one. A recent study indicated that |
| industry we call this keeping the honest person honest. | | | | corporate IT Directors thought that only 35% of the |
| Once a theft is suspected, making an accusation | | | | employees where doing this, indicating that it is a |
| toward an employee can permanently damage | | | | commonly overlooked problem with enormous |
| relationships not only with that employee but also with | | | | potential to cause you and your company a financial |
| those with whom the individual works with. Making sure | | | | and embarrassing negative situation. |