Boston Business Journal
by Jennifer LeClaire Special to the Journal
Employees could be to blame for one of the most prominent security concerns facing businesses today: loss of corporate information.
So say findings from a new Cisco global security study. The report offers insight into the risks employees take that could cause data leakage.
The reason is clear: With the move toward distributed business models and remote workforces, lines are blurring between work and home lives. That’s leading to more collaborative devices and applications, including mobile phones, laptops, Web 2.0 applications, video and other social media.
The stakes are high. Data breaches cost companies $6.3 million in 2007, up from $4.8 million in 2006, according to a study by the Ponemon Institute. A highly publicized data breach can also translate to lost business opportunities.
Security is ultimately rooted in users’ behavior, so businesses of all sizes and employees in all professions need to understand how behavior affects the risk and reality of data loss — and what that ultimately means for both the individual and enterprise, according to John Stewart, chief security officer at Cisco.
“Understanding this can help strengthen relationships between IT and employees, tailor localized awareness and education programs, and better manage risk,” Stewart said.
The takeaway: There are opportunities for businesses to tailor risk-management plans that prevent data loss incidents locally while remaining global in scope. While some solutions are technology-based and others are policy-based, the common denominator in these programs is employee education.
“Companies need a strong set of policies and consequences for breaking them,” said Michelle Drolet, CEO of IT security services firm Towerwall in Framingham. “The employees need to be clear about the rules for handling information and using technology.”
An innocent example of accidental leakage is when an employee e-mails files to his or her home computer to prepare for a presentation. If that employee later donates the computer to charity, the sensitive records could be exploited, at least theoretically. But employees could also leak information out of spite on the way out the door.
“The social contract between employers and employees is quickly deteriorating,” said Michael Renaud, a partner at Boston-based law firm Pepper Hamilton LLP. “People are not as loyal to their employers as they once were.”
