In a perfect world, the only person who would have regular access to vital business information would be you. Because it’s not a perfect world, that just isn’t possible.
Regular user access reviews are extremely important when making sure the wrong people don’t have the wrong kind of access, but you should do more than take a defensive stance. You should take an offensive stance by considering exactly who needs access in the first place.
Here are four people who will require some level of access, and how you can limit the potential damage that can be done even if they do have access to vital information.
Management
Chances are, management is going to need a high level of access. However, that doesn’t mean they need complete access to all information.
Instead, you should separate vital information into different systems or different levels of access. That way a manager doesn’t have access to unnecessary information.
If you aren’t sure exactly what kind of information they need, let them come to you. If you notice management coming to your office frequently for the same kind of information, it’s a good idea to provide them with direct access to that information.
Employees
Your employees will have to have a certain level of access, but they should have a lower level of access than management. Policies should be clear with your management team, but monitoring online and access behavior among employees should be clear too. That means:
- Make sure policies are written down and easily accessible
- Inform your workforce of these policies regularly
- Use the right tools that enable you to track their movements in the system
IT
Your IT crew will have the most access out of any of your employees. That can be verve-racking if you have a third-party IT vendor.
Choose your IT vendor very carefully, looking for a professional that has great reviews. Hiring a person to come to your location can help too. That way, you can keep an eye on exactly what they’re doing while they’re working on your systems.
You can also consider hiring your own internal IT crew so you can keep closer tabs on the information they’re accessing.
Vendors
Vendors will also need some level of access to your systems. How you work with your vendors is the best way to keep your systems secure.
Work closely with your vendors. Share only information that is important, and make sure your priorities are clear. Build long-term partnerships and allow them to help you strategize. Treat them like a member of your team and you’ll not only feel better about providing them with essential information, you’ll also reduce the chances of them wanting to use that information unethically.
You have to give a certain amount of control to various people in your business, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a little control. Think carefully about who has access to what kinds of information and you can prevent a breach in the first place.