Information Sensitivity and Employee Sanctions: Getting the Message Across

Mike Donoghue is a member of a multinational information technology corporation where he collaborates on the communications guidelines and customer relationship strategies affecting the interactions with internal and external clients. He has analyzed, defined, designed and overseen processes for various engagements including product usability and customer satisfaction, best practice enterprise standardization, relationship/branding structures, and distribution effectiveness and direction. He has also established corporate library solutions to provide frameworks for sales, marketing, training, and support divisions.

  Resource Management   Strategy   Talent Management  

With increases in data breaches and the realization that (as part of that) employees have not been following appropriate security measures, there is a strong need to get the complete attention of staff and define how to make them more accountable.

When significant breaches occur, accusing fingers often get pointed at the Chief Information Officer and Chief Security Officer (if a firm has been forward-looking/financially supportive enough to engage one). Ultimately, they are the ones responsible for the mishaps, mistakes and poor planning of their organization when these events occur. A lot of blame gets heaped upon their shoulders, but in the aftermath analysis of what went wrong, it has been noted that the misdeeds that put them at center stage are frequently associated with damaging employee actions and non-actions.

How does a company handle this problem? When these events occur--and with repetition--there needs to be an introduction or reintroduction to rules and repercussions that apply to all employed bodies within an organization, including officers and contractors.

Not permissible
Companies that work with data and are responsible for its security, privacy and protection need to have a policy in place--one that provides an umbrella of reasons for employee sanctions, leading up to possible termination.

While employees are an amazing asset to an …

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