Employers today are armed with more technology than ever before—with state-of-the art tools that improve productivity, enhance communication, and ultimately help to boost our bottom lines. But the more we rely on digital tools to create, store, and share data, the more vulnerable we become to employee digital data theft. Similarly, digital methods of communication can often open the door …
Employee Deception: Too Little, Too Late
Protus3 conducts a wide variety of corporate investigations related to employee deception. Some of the more common issues involve harassment complaints or theft of data. Sometimes these issues appear while the employee is still with the company. In other cases, the employee deception does not come to light for weeks or months after they have left the company. Even when …
Two-Factor Authentication: A Resolution That Works
Many people ring in the New Year with celebrations and hopes of a better year. The New Year symbolizes the ending of one year and the beginning of another even better year. Some offer advice to bring happiness and prosperity to others: Eat twelve grapes at midnight or eat black-eyed peas on January 1. My advice is more concrete and …
From HPG – Guard against Losses from Employee Theft
Employee theft costs companies billions of dollars a year. This poses a very serious threat to profitability if left unchecked. Therefore, every business needs to set up some internal controls to thwart this type of fraud. This article from Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP entitled “Guard against Losses from Employee Theft” looks at a few simple steps to take that …
Why Employees are Your Greatest Cyber Risk
A company will do everything it can to protect its network and data. They hire information security experts and purchase security software and hardware to protect from outside intrusions. They do a number of things to reduce their cyber risk. Most are missing the largest risk to their data – the employee. A recent study finds that nearly two in …
Millions Evaporate as Trade Secrets Lawsuits Fly Across NC, US
The July 6, 2018, issue of the Triangle Business Journal included an article entitled “Millions evaporate as trade secrets lawsuits fly across NC, US”. This article provided good information about the increase in the theft of company-owned data. We have also seen an increase of data theft investigations at Protus3. We work side-by-side with law firms to provide evidence of …
When Not to Call the Police
I used to be a cop. Served proudly, retired and kicked back, all set to enjoy my pension. Any cop who tells you they have seen it all and done it all would be prone to exaggeration, to put it politely. During my career, I shared a multitude of experiences —- from outright hilarious to downright heartbreaking. While I was …
Held Hostage by a Dishonest Employee
I recently was involved in a case in which a company employee was discovered using a company credit card for personal reasons. This happens occasionally, and one would think that immediately terminating the dishonest employee would resolve the issue. But what happens when the employee is the one and only IT person for the company? Many companies have only one person …
Terminating an Employee and Company Data
Having to terminate an employee is never easy. To make the process even more difficult, consider the recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Courion which stated that 19% of employees age 18 to 34 would take company data with them if they knew they were about to be fired. Read the full story here. Depending on the …
Security in the Office – A Checklist
How is your security? The following checklist illustrates the necessary aspects of security that must be addressed for a secure environment. Comply with and support your company’s safety and security program and regulations, and insist that others do the same. Protect wallets, keys, purses, and other personal valuables on the job. This especially includes smartphones and tablets. Challenge strangers in …