Suspecting an Employee Leaking Business Data: How to Tread

Businesses rely on data to make informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition. However, if this data gets leaked to competitors or the public, it can be disastrous for the company. To protect business data, it is essential to have security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, companies should educate employees on the importance of protecting confidential information.

According to a study by IBM, 60% of businesses experienced a data breach in 2016. The most common cause of these breaches was malicious or criminal attacks, which accounted for 43% of all violations. Other causes of data breaches include accidental loss and human error.

The consequences of a data breach can be costly for businesses. The Ponemon Institute estimates that the average cost of a data breach is $3.62 million. This includes notification, forensics, legal fees, and credit monitoring services.

Therefore, businesses must protect their data from unauthorized access and ensure that employees know the importance of protecting confidential information. However, what if you suspect a worker is leaking information and want to catch them red-handed? Here are a few tips to consider for the process.

Keep the Circle of People Who Know Small

It might be considered a crime if employees intentionally leak company data. As a result, it is essential to keep the circle of people who know about the investigation as small as possible. This will help prevent misunderstandings or rumors from spreading throughout the workplace.

Additionally, if it is determined that an employee did leak information, they can be held legally and criminally liable. Therefore, it is crucial to have concrete evidence before taking action against an employee.

If more people know what is happening, it is more likely to encounter difficulties gathering evidence. Someone might tip the suspect about the investigation and give them time to cover their tracks.

Investigate All Data Leaks

When looking into a potential data leak, it is essential to investigate all the information leaked, not just the most recent breach. Additionally, businesses should determine how the data was accessed and by whom.

This will help businesses understand the scope of the problem and put measures in place to prevent future breaches. It will also help identify any weaknesses in the company’s security system.

Additionally, investigating all data leaks will help identify patterns or red flags that might help catch the person responsible for the leak. For example, if there are always leaks on Mondays after a weekend, it might be because the suspect is taking home sensitive information. Gathering evidence outside of work will be challenging, making it essential to hire a private investigator. The professional can conduct surveillance and gather evidence to help identify the culprit.

Conduct Regular Employee Training

Employee training is essential to prevent data breaches from happening in the first place. Companies should educate workers on the importance of protecting confidential information and the consequences of leaking company data.

Additionally, businesses should have a policy outlining the procedures for handling sensitive information. Employees should be aware of this policy and understand the consequences of not following it.

Regular training will help ensure that employees are up-to-date on the latest security measures. It will also help refresh their memory of company policy handling sensitive information.

Invest in Security Systems

Businesses should invest in security systems to protect their data from unauthorized access. These systems can include security cameras, password-protected software, and data encryption.

Additionally, businesses should consider using tracking devices to monitor employee activity. This step will help identify suspicious behavior and gather evidence of data leaks.

Track Employee Activity

Tracking employee activity can help businesses catch workers who are leaking company data. You can do this through security cameras, keyloggers, and GPS tracking.

Organizations can use security cameras to monitor employees as they work. This will help identify any suspicious behavior or red flags that might indicate a data leak.

Keyloggers can track what employees are typing on their computers. This information can determine if an employee is accessing sensitive data they should not have access.

GPS tracking can also track employee movement. This will help businesses determine if an employee is taking company data outside the office.

Take Action Against Data Leakers

Once a business has determined that an employee is responsible for a data leak, it should take action against the individual. This can include terminating their employment, filing a lawsuit, and reporting the incident to law enforcement.

Additionally, businesses should consider taking legal action against the employee. This will help signal to other workers that companies will not tolerate leaking company data. It will also help recover any damages caused by the data leak.

Final Thoughts

Businesses need to take steps to protect their data from leaks. You should train employees on protecting sensitive information and the consequences of leaking company data. Additionally, businesses should invest in security systems and track employee activity to catch workers leaking company data. Finally, businesses should take action against data leakers by terminating their employment, filing a lawsuit, and reporting the incident to law enforcement.