Many forward-thinking companies have already developed and implemented security policies that are devoted to keeping company and client information secure. Yet, certain departments within your company might have specific risks that aren’t covered by the broad-spectrum corporate security policy.
For example, consider your sales team. The sales team can create unique security risks based on their access to customer and prospect information, use of contracts/agreements and even their mobile workplace. To add to the challenge, your sales people are focused on making sales and hitting their goals so corporate policies can feel cumbersome or counterproductive to their sales effort.
The best solution is to identify the unique risk factors and mitigate them with easy-to-follow security practices and solutions:
- Risk: Accessing client and prospect information
- Solution: Have IT monitor logins periodically to ensure sales is only accessing the information they need for specific accounts or sales
- Risk: Communicating sensitive information via email
- Solution: Train employees about what information can be shared electronically and encrypt all emails/attachments
- Risk: Working off site or from home
- Solution: Educate employees about the importance of using only secure networks and that security policies must be followed, even from a remote worksite
- Risk: Using portable technology including laptops, USB drives and smart phones
- Solution: Keep security software current on all devices, use encryption software and ensure all items are password-protected and default to a locked screen when idle
- Risk: Generating confidential paperwork such as contracts, renewals, rate information, service level agreements, etc.
- Solution: Implement a shred-all policy where all paperwork (regardless of what it contains) is shredded securely once it is no longer needed
By thinking of your sales team’s daily activities and how they might pose a security risk, you can then identify solutions to create a more secure environment for your clients, employees and your company.