Can Your Former Employees Be a Threat to Your Business

Employees come and go in the business world, so you should be prepared to handle this turnover when it happens. If your company does not have an adequate response to employee turnover, you could potentially put your business at risk. Here are three ways that you can make sure former employees cause you the least amount of worry, especially in regards to staffing and cybersecurity.

Understand Why They Are Leaving

First, you must understand why your employees are leaving your business behind. Are they frustrated? Did they get a better offer at another business? Did one of your competitors poach your talent? This information is vital to helping you respond to your employees leaving, and it might even help you prevent employees from leaving your business in the future.

Are There Hard Feelings?

As unlikely as it might be, an employee with a bone to pick with your business might try to use their knowledge to make their exit from your company as difficult as possible. You should make every attempt to clear the air before the employees leave, especially if the employee is a known agitant. Take some time to sit down and resolve any issues before they leave. If your employees know that their feelings and frustrations are validated, they will be less likely to act on any unresolved issues.

Remove Access to Important Data and Accounts

A recent article by TechRepublic reported that one in four employees still have access to accounts and data after leaving their positions with a company or organization. This is a huge issue, as anyone leaving your organization (particularly those who are terminated against their will) might still have access to all of their accounts. You must revoke these privileges after they are officially gone, so be sure to look into what information these employees have access to before the fact.

It’s worth noting that it might be worth waiting to delete these accounts, as you might still need data hosted on their desktops or located in their cloud storage. You can just deactivate the account and hand the credentials over to someone else in the organization who might have a need for it.

It is still a best practice to monitor these accounts, however, especially if you think they may harbor ill feelings toward your company. No one likes to think about these types of threats, but they are a reality that you must prepare for. To learn more about how to secure your business and its network, reach out to us at (703) 821-8200.