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Learn how to secure your Small Business, your employees and your customers from Internet threats like identity theft, privacy violations and lost data by deploying the best Internet security policies and procedures.

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Security And The New Hire

 

Your business is growing, you're adding staff. Be sure you also add your security expectations and policies to the new hire's understanding of his or her job responsibilities.

Security Policy Is Part of The Job Interview

Your formal security and computer use policy should be mentioned during initial interviews and reviewed in detail as the candidate moves to subsequent interviews and ultimate hiring. Make clear:

  • You have a formal, written security policy that the candidate will be expected to sign and adhere to
  • Your expectations and requirements regarding use of company computers and other electronic equipment
Security Training Is Part of Job Training, Whatever The Job

Once the candidate is hired, thorough security training should accompany the initial paperwork and job preparation. It should include:

  • Signing and dating the security policy
  • Instruction on how to create strong passwords with a reminder of the frequency with which you expect passwords to be changed
  • Instruction on the use and security issues involving mobile and off-site equipment such as laptops (if appropriate)
Security Review Is Part of Security Training

It's a good idea for you (or a designated supervisor) to review the employee's adherence to security policy and practice during the first few weeks of employment.

Special Considerations Before Hiring

While there are clearly legal and privacy requirements that must be attended to during the interview and hiring process, many employers have found it beneficial to perform on-line checks of potential employees' Internet history. In addition to credit and other financial checks, search engines such as Google® or Yahoo!® can turn up a surprising amount of information. Lately, many companies have begun checking social networking sites such as MySpace™ to find out just how much and what sorts of personal information - some of which might be damaging to your company's reputation or standing - the candidate has posted. It's advisable to check with your attorney about regulations regarding these sorts of searches.