A study by Osterman Research revealed that 69% of businesses experience data loss due to employee turnover, and 87% of employees who leave take data with them! When an employee leaves your company, whether it’s a mutual decision or otherwise, it’s essential to ensure your business remains secure. Offboarding employees can present cybersecurity risks if not handled properly. Whether through theft of intellectual property, malicious removal of data, or data breach, you will be on the hook for the consequences including compliance violations, financial loss, and irreparable reputational damage. Here’s how to protect your business’s cybersecurity during offboarding.
Revoke Access Immediately: The moment an employee’s departure is confirmed, revoke their access to all company systems and data. This includes email accounts, cloud services, project management tools, and any other platforms your business uses. If an ex-employee retains access, they could accidentally or intentionally misuse company information.
Collect Company Devices: Ensure all company-owned devices are returned before the employee leaves. This includes laptops, smartphones, tablets, and any other equipment that might contain sensitive information. Have an inventory list of all devices issued to employees so you know exactly what needs to be returned.
Change Passwords: Change all passwords for shared accounts that the departing employee had access to. This includes Wi-Fi passwords, admin accounts, and any shared login credentials.
Update Access Controls: Review and update your access controls and permissions. Ensure that the departing employee no longer has access to sensitive data or systems, and that only current employees have the permissions they need. Proper access control helps prevent unauthorized access to your business’s critical data. This is even more important if your employees are not using a password manager or use the same passwords for their personal and business accounts.
Monitor for Suspicious Activity: After the employee has left, keep an eye on your systems for any unusual activity, especially setting alerts Set up alerts for any unauthorized access attempts or unusual login locations. This can help you quickly spot and respond to potential security threats.
Offboarding employees can be a smooth process with the right cybersecurity measures in place. By following these steps, you can protect your business from potential security risks and ensure that your data remains safe and secure. Remember, a little effort now can save a lot of trouble later! To find out if you have any gaps in your offboarding process that expose you to theft or data breach, we can help you with a risk assessment and help you resolve it.
