Operation e-workplace protection.

• Author: Groves, Shanna
• Position: Up front: news, trends & analysis - Brief Article

An employee carrying a zip drive and a sack full of disks to the office is not uncommon. But if this employee is disgruntled and has access to the company's most vital information, this action could be a warning sign, says Nancy Flynn, founder and executive director of the ePolicy Institute.

"There is an increased number of employees or laid-off employees who are disgruntled and want to seek revenge," Flynn said at the recent audioconference "The First Line of e-Defense: Creating a Safe and Secure Electronic Workplace." As a result, some may turn to electronic sabotage -- distorting or destroying a company's electronically stored information.

There are ways for an organization to protect vital information stored on computer hard drives, but setting rules is not as critical as enforcing them. Flynn gives these tips for protecting electronically stored information:

* Revisit e-mail and Internet usage policies. "Employers face big liabilities when they allow employees to have Internet and e-mail access," Flynn says. She suggests that companies implement a written e-policy that addresses all computer usage, including access to e-mail, Internet, instant messaging, list-serve memberships, chat rooms, and software guidelines. Have employees...