What's on YOUR Laptop?
This scary little article about a Fidelity laptop containing confidential information regarding almost 200,000 participants in Hewlett-Packard's pension and 401(k) plans should have us thinking. Although the article describes affirmative steps that Fidelity had taken to thwart retrieval of information in the event of a theft like this, how many other firms are not so careful? My suggestions - start asking these questions:
1. Do you know what is on your employees' laptops?
2. Have precautions been taken to either secure or encrypt the information or remove it when it is no longer needed?
3. Are laptops themselves secured in the office?
4. Do laptops have proper passwords and other security measures in place?
All too often employees pass along files and information containing either confidential employee or customer information or trade secrets. Think about how often these employees clean this stuff off of their hard drives. Probably never!
