Toronto IT Consultant Shares Why Former Employees Can Become Security Risks

Employee departures happen in every growing business. In these instances, most companies simply retrieve the laptops and office equipment promptly with digital accesses that easily get overlooked. As a result, a Toronto IT consultant stress, former employees may retain access to business systems. For some, these old accounts are left operational for several months. As a result, these forgotten permissions lead to unnecessary security risks.  

Toronto IT Consultant Shares Why Former Employees Can Become Security Risks

One Account Can Open Many Doors 

Normally, an employee uses more than one platform throughout their tenure. Popular examples include business applications, cloud storage and Microsoft 365. That is why offboarding each account is necessary, according to a Toronto IT consultant. This is because leaving one account active creates another entry point for attackers to target later on. To make matters worse, these accounts are often less monitored compared to those active users. 

Shared Passwords Make Offboarding Harder 

Another issue during offboarding is that there are business tools with sensitive content but have shared passwords among some teams. Although this practice seems convenient, it also poses complications since it remains unclear who still has access to it. A Toronto IT consultant said that changing shared passwords after an employee departs is essential. Not only because control is much better with individual accounts, they also make suspicious activity easier to investigate.  

Don’t Forget Personal Devices 

Remote work adds another layer of complexity. This is because staff are able to access company data from their own devices. Hence, business records may continue to be kept following termination of employment. Because of this, having managed applications helps separate business information securely. With this, administrators can remove company access without affecting personal content. In the same vein, it ensures that the policies are clear, and the departures are easier to manage. 

Build Offboarding Process and Review Old Accounts Regularly 

Offboarding should be done by going through a standard checklist, says a Toronto IT consultant. This means that the account should be immediately disabled upon the termination of employment. Moreover, permissions, active sessions, and list of accounts also need to be reviewed periodically. Furthermore, it must be known in advance when an employee is going to depart. Having an early notice allows access removal without unnecessary delays and aids in the storage of crucial files and communications. Additionally, regular account reviews catch those forgotten access points. Plus, they also reveal unused licenses costing your business money. Quarterly reviews provide a good starting point. Start by comparing active accounts against your current employee list and remove anything without a clear business purpose. 

Make Every Departure More Secure 

Secure offboarding protects company data and customer information. It also reduces risks from forgotten accounts. When employees change, the process is so easy. Here at EB Solution, our team can help you strengthen your offboarding process. 

Call us today to enhance access security!