As more and more organizations collect and store customer data of various kinds it is worrying that the number of data breach events are increasing. While some events are caused by external threats, a significant number stem from sources that are closer to home.
Recently Shred-It’s 2018 study on data security revealed that the majority of data breaches reported by C-Suites and SBOs are at least partially attributed to employees. While some are due to malicious intent, many are due to accidental loss or human error.
One way in which you can prevent such breaches and protect customer data is by using employee monitoring software. In fact there are five proven strategies that rely on it:
• Restrict access to sensitive data
Customer data should be treated as any valuable commodity, and access to it should be restricted. Only employees that actually need to have access to such data should be given access, through a series of specific permissions.
In many cases employees may only need access to part of the customer data, and not its entire body. While restricting access will not let you fully prevent breaches, it does mitigate it.
• Reinforce data movement boundaries
Some of the more serious data breaches are often caused simply by employees transferring data to external devices or uploading or emailing them out. To stem that employee monitoring software can help to reinforce data movement boundaries and restrict data from being transferred via email, file upload, and other means.
• Identify potential vulnerabilities and security gaps
By monitoring employees and analyzing their usage, you will be able to identify potential vulnerabilities and security gaps early. That includes potential issues with access to sensitive data or the ability to copy and transfer it.
For example the logs provided by WorkExaminer can help you to monitor how employees are interacting with data and spot potential gaps in your security. That will let you preemptively make improvements that could help avoid data breaches.
• Track suspicious behavior patterns
Another way employee monitoring software can preempt a data breach is by identifying and tracking any suspicious behavior by employees. In WorkExaminer companies will be able to monitor data access and outgoing communication, and track patterns that seem suspicious so that they have the evidence they need to take action.
• Gather forensics and retrieve data
In many cases data breaches are not a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’, and you need to be prepared for that. Employee monitoring can help on that front too, and WorkExaminer can be a valuable tool to provide data for forensic purposes so that you can identify the source of the breach and possibly retrieve the data as well.
Using employee monitoring software such as WorkExaminer in the ways described above can help you to protect customer data far more effectively. Not only can it help you to directly track suspicious activity, but it can help you to make improvements that will reduce your overall risk and exposure as well.
Featured image by Markus Spiske via Pexels.
