“The Great Resignation” is a phenomenon that has greatly impacted how we work. As of August 2021, 65% of people in the United States were looking for a new job and 25% of them actually quit. With tens of millions of people shuffling around the workforce, there is another key asset organizations are at risk of losing: data.
People and data are, arguably, a company’s two most important resources, and while losing people is a challenge, losing both can be devastating to a business’s security and competitiveness. This is especially true for security personnel, as they often have unique privileges or access to data and information that other personnel may not. As a result, the Great Resignation has become the “Great Exfiltration,” as people leaving their jobs may also be taking company data with them.
Considering the Great Exfiltration, it is vital for organizations to create and implement a robust data loss prevention (DLP) strategy during the offboarding process to prevent any destruction or loss of data. This is particularly important with many organizations still working remotely, where the lines between personal and professional devices have become blurred.
That said, there are a few tactics that leaders can keep in mind while employing their DLP strategies during the offboarding process:
Automation is key when offboarding security personnel
“People may be your greatest asset – but they can also be your biggest liability.”
People, Risk, and Security: How to prevent your greatest asset from becoming your greatest liability