Ex-employees a security threat: What HR can do

Who’s most likely to steal your company’s sensitive information? Foreign hackers? Professional identity thieves?
Wrong. One of the top threats to businesses these days is data theft by former employees, according to a survey by Ernst & Young. Of the 2,000 IT pros surveyed, 75% are worried about reprisals from employees who’ve left their organization. Also, 42% are already taking steps to dodge the risk.
To avoid problems, HR needs to work closely with IT when employees are let go.
Upper management often keeps downsizing details as a closely guarded secret. But it’s important to let IT know as soon as possible, so they can take on the task of removing the accounts.
Otherwise, disgruntled former employees have a window in which they can still access the company’s computer system and do serious damage.
It’s also important for help desk workers to keep an updated list of who is and isn’t an active employee. If they don’t, ex-employees could call and ask to have their access restored.