The stuff security nightmares are made of

Keeping your data safe in a time of layoff: Pink slips, passwords and computer viruses.

Want a data security nightmare to dream about tonight?

Last October, a contract employee with Fannie Mae planted a computer virus in the mortgage finance company's software system after he'd been told he was being fired and was ordered to turn in his laptop. The virus was uncovered by another programmer -- a fortunate discovery, because the code was designed to destroy data on 4,000 servers, shut down the company for a week and cause millions of dollars in damage.

An estimated 2.8 million U.S. employees lost their jobs in 2008 and the rate of layoffs accelerated in the early months of 2009. I can't count the times I've received calls from panicked Minnesota business owners who've had to terminate employees and, after escorting them out the door, realized those disgruntled alumni still had remote access to confidential computer data.

Just a few years ago, employees would have limited access to data through a secure office network, which was easy to block the moment they were terminated. But the popularity today of mobile devices -- from laptops to Blackberries -- and the ubiquity of a mobile workforce tapping into networks at home and on the road widened the security perimeter a company must maintain around its data. Employees now have access to business data through home Internet connections, with sales figures and other mission-critical information installed on home laptops, smart phones and PDAs.

To Continue Reading: Click Here
----------------------------------------------
Source: startribune.com
By: Jason Baker