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The tech professional labor market is an extremely competitive and difficult place right now. The stakes are so high that CNBC has highlighted certain companies that are offering paid vacations before new hires even begin the job.
This is a great environment for workers, and is something pushing employer standards higher and higher. This includes the onboarding process, in which employees are brought into the fold and then provided with all of the setup they need to get a running start in the business. As companies seek to move through the onboarding process quickly, cyber risks are presented - as with any expedited business process.
Sensitive data exchange
As part of the onboarding process, employees will need to exchange sensitive personal data. Indeed, having a well-structured “day 1” plan in which pay schedules, security codes, personal information and HR data is exchanged is absolutely crucial to maintaining good employee service and ensuring engagement. Dealing with these requests in a quick fashion achieves that, but it’s also important to note that this is where security risks can occur.
Indeed, US News highlights the fact that 2022 has been a bumper year for data breaches; Microsoft, Uber, Ronin and News Corp have all experienced huge attacks. In order to ensure that sensitive data can be exchanged safely, a holistic review of corporate and third-party security systems is essential. Secure portals, to allow the transfer of data into the business from the employee onboarding, will protect both parties.
Protecting corporate data
With employees in the corporate system, it’s important that they have immediate access to local resources and knowledge to start their development and to support their work as they get going. It’s important that these knowledge bases have significant and accurate resources, but they also need to be protected. Corporate cyber espionage is a serious risk; according to Security Magazine, hundreds of millions of dollars of damage was inflicted in 2020-21 through corporate information theft. Accordingly, operating a stringent data management policy and ensuring files are maintained securely is key.
Generating social connections
A key benefit that companies can offer employees is networking. Being a conduit for new industry connections and all the benefits that comes from that is a key part of onboarding - but, as with other aspects, it brings risks. Bringing a new employee into the fold and then putting them in touch with established networks brings its own risks and, furthermore, without the familiarity that existing employees have with corporate networks, there is a definite risk of exposing those networks to additional risk and cyber threats.
As with all corporate cybersecurity solutions, the key to securing social networking and promoting assurance comes in the form of systems checks. That’s staying up to date with high quality security technology, keeping check of what valuable data and assets are being shared, and ensuring that employees are aware of their security responsibilities.
