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HR Support on Corporate Data Security & HR Policies against Employee Data Theft
Editor's Note: Safeguard your data to prevent theft in your workplace.
Overview: One component of a risk management plan is protection of data. Every employer manages sensitive employer data. Whether it is client lists, future plans or other trade secrets makes little difference: employers should do everything in their power to protect this information from theft.
Data could be stolen from an inside source (such as an employee) or an outside source (such as a hacker). Employers should do their utmost to protect against both scenarios. From an HR perspective, there are employee concerns from both angles. The first, more obviously, relates to any data that the employer wants to protect from the employee - e.g., trade secrets. The second relates to data stolen that contains employee information.
HR, along with IT and any other relevant work group, need to create security guards that will both stop employees from stealing data and stop any unauthorized person from accessing employee information. Policies and employment agreements might help with some employee-related theft, whereas stronger password protections and spamming technology, along with greater employee education, are some ways to begin with the latter.
Trends: Bring your own device (BYOD) policies are growing and more and more employers are having employees bring in their own laptops, etc., in place of supplying employees with these devices. While there are many benefits to this type of service, there are also some security pitfalls regarding theft of data as the computers are often less secure, and it is harder to remove the data from the computer at the end of employment.
Ashley Shaw, J.D., Legal Editor
Latest items in Theft of Data
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Texas Adopts Uniform Trade Secrets Act
Effective September 1, 2013, Texas employers will have a more consistent and predictable legal framework for protecting their trade secrets. Texas has adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA).
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Workplace Security: Texas
In-depth review of the spectrum of Texas employment law requirements HR must follow in respect to workplace security.
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Employee Discipline: Texas
In-depth review of the spectrum of Texas employment law requirements HR must follow with respect to employee discipline.
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High-Tech/Software and Communications Resource Center for HR: Restrictive Covenants
XpertHR's High-Tech Resource Center for HR: Restrictive Covenants helps high-tech employers handle their most challenging employment issues by bringing relevant resources together in one place for easy access.
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High-Tech/Software and Communications Resource Center for HR: Securing Employer Property and Information
XpertHR's High-Tech Resource Center for HR: Securing Employer Property and Information helps high-tech employers handle their most challenging employment issues by bringing relevant resources together in one place for easy access.
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Involuntary Terminations
In-depth review of the spectrum of federal legal requirements HR must follow when terminating an employee.
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Workplace Security: South Dakota
In-depth review of the spectrum of South Dakota employment law requirements HR must follow with respect to workplace security.
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Exit Interview Policy
An employer may use this policy to convey the purpose for and importance of conducting exit interviews with employees departing the organization. Given that employers may collect valuable, candid information regarding employment practices from outgoing employees and may also identify post-termination risks such as lawsuits, employers are strongly encouraged to conduct exit interviews with all willing, outgoing employees. This policy can be used to put current employees on notice of the employer's intention to conduct such interviews and what the employer intends to do with the information it gathers.
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Employee Discipline: Washington
In-depth review of the spectrum of Washington employment law requirements HR must follow with respect to employee discipline.
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New Federal Law Increases Penalties for Trade Secret Theft That Benefits Foreign Governments
On January 14, 2013, President Obama signed the Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012. The new amendments to the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 (EEA) increase existing penalties for trade secret theft.
About this topic
HR guidance on safeguarding employer sensitive data against theft.