Companies todays face greatest challenge to prevent employees exiting with data-stealing. Companies not only in India but
also worldwide witness thefts of source codes and confidential information. What is the 'modus operandi' of stealing data and how it can be prevented
by companies? Explained here:-
- Companies provide easy access to databases for information sharing, and storage. Mobiles, removable devices like USB make it easier for the employees access, move the data.
- Companies suffer greater consequences if the data is lost or compromised.
- But the exiting employees defend that everybody steals and the information would be useful to them. The type of information they most likely steal is the information based on their job profile.
- Almost all employees have access to a wide variety of electronic information which range from important to confidential information like email lists, non-financial business information, customers' data, employee records, financial records, databases with enormous company history, trade secrets, intellectual property etc.
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- Smart phones like Blackberry, iPhones & Android have enormous storage capacity and can easily be connected to the corporate email system. In short, the combination of storage and data access make the mobile communication devices an idea method of stealing data.
- As there are technologically advanced email service providers, messenger services, social networking sites, company secrets can be leaked, data can be stolen & data can be shared. As such, it is almost impossible for the companies to totally prevent data loss.
- As labour turnover and attrition rate is high nowadays in almost all companies, employees keep exiting and new ones are recruited to replace them which leads to severe threat to confidential data. Then how to prevent the exiting employees from stealing vital and sensitive data? Some basic guidelines to be followed by the companies.
- Concerned Departmental Heads of the companies should keep a closer eye on their confidential data before employees' exit in advance.
- Companies should educate their employees that stealing confidential information is wrong, by entering into non-disclosure agreements with the employees at the time of recruitment.
- HR Managers should ensure that exiting employees have continued responsibility to protect confidential information and should surrender company information and property without fail.