What is forensics?Explanation of meaning, necessary situations, investigation methods, and precautions
2023/11/16
Eight measures to prevent personal information leaks | Essential security measures for companies, including how to investigate leaks when they occur
2023/11/16
It is not uncommon for retired employees to gain unauthorized access to company PCs and servers and steal confidential information.This article explains the risks of unauthorized access and information taking by retired employees, preventive measures, and investigation methods in the event that unauthorized access occurs.
What is unauthorized access by retired employees?
It is dangerous for retired employees to continue to have access to internal systems.There is an increasing number of cases in which employees who have retired or are planning to retire misuse the privileges they had prior to retirement to access corporate and organizational systems and data and engage in fraudulent activities such as stealing files and emails. It is located in
Information leaks by retired employees are increasing.
According to the 2020 Survey on the Status of Trade Secret Management in Companies, the number of incidents related to information leaks has decreased slightly compared to 2016, but ``employees who left mid-career'' accounted for 3 of the overall information leak routes. This resulted in more than XNUMX% of the total.Although the rate of leaks due to employee errors has decreased, many of the sources of leaks are employees who left the company mid-career, and it can be said that the rate of leaks due to unauthorized access has actually increased.
(Source) About the “2020 Survey on the Status of Trade Secret Management in Companies” report: https://www.ipa.go.jp/archive/security/reports/2020/ts-kanri.html
Risks to companies from unauthorized access by retired employees
What kind of risks might a company be exposed to due to unauthorized access to resignation letters?Specific examples include:
Risk of losing competitiveness due to leakage of confidential information to competitors, etc.
Confidential information held by companies includes information that has important value in conducting corporate activities, such as technology and know-how.If such information flows to competitors, there may be risks such as a decline in competitiveness.
Risk of compensation for damages due to leakage of personal information or corporate information
If personal information such as customer information or information within a company is leaked, it can cause major social problems.The company may also be liable for damages to victims whose personal information has been leaked.
reputation risk
Reputational risk is the potential danger to a company's reputation and credibility.There is a risk that the leakage of customer information due to fraudulent activities will become a social problem, leading to a loss of trust in the company and damage to its market value.
Risk of being subject to criminal penalties
Nowadays, punishments related to personal information management are severe, and if you violate the Personal Information Protection Act, which stipulates the obligations that businesses handling personal information must comply with, you may be subject to imprisonment or fines.
Measures to prevent information from being taken out or leaked by retired employees
How can we prevent information from being taken out or leaked by retired employees?We will introduce basic measures that company personnel should be aware of.
Restrict who has access to sensitive information
Reducing and physically restricting employees' access to confidential company information is an effective way to reduce unauthorized access and maintain confidential information.Effective measures include reducing the opportunities for employees to come into contact with important information, such as storing documents and recording media in locked rooms and restricting access to data on the network.
Increase security by installing security cameras and controlling entry/exit
Psychological deterrents that discourage employees from taking confidential information are also effective.Methods include requiring records to be recorded when entering and exiting places where confidential information is stored, such as shelves, warehouses, and server rooms, and installing security cameras.Another option is to store confidential information in a location that is easily visible to managers and other employees.In addition, there are various ways to prevent confidential information from being taken out, such as recording PC and network logs, monitoring communication records such as emails, and keeping a history of downloads of important files.
Disseminate the risks of information taking and leaks through training, oaths, and penalties.
It is also important to make everyone aware of the extent to which information leaks due to confidential information being taken out will be detrimental to the company.We aim to improve employee security awareness by providing training on the definition of confidential information, the types of information that should not be taken out, and how to handle information.It is also effective to have the company submit a confidentiality agreement (contract) and set penalties for violating it.
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Forensic investigation is an investigation method when unauthorized access by a retired employee is suspected.
If information leakage is discovered and unauthorized access by retired employees is suspected, we will first conduct interviews and conduct an initial investigation, collect and preserve the necessary data, conduct a detailed investigation, and finally report and formulate future countermeasures. I will do it.
Such investigations are called forensic investigations, and the mainstream is digital forensics, which collects and analyzes information stored on digital devices to uncover evidence of crimes and wrongdoing.
The amount of information that is subject to digital forensics is often enormous, and an increasing number of investigation companies are utilizing AI (artificial intelligence) to carry out efficient forensics.Utilizing AI, which is good at analyzing large amounts of data, not only improves the efficiency of investigations, but also improves the accuracy of investigations by allowing experts to concentrate their resources.
FRONTEO's "Retiree PC Maintenance Service" prepares for investigations into information taking and leaks by retirees.
No matter what measures you take, it is difficult to completely prevent unauthorized access and information taking by retired employees.It is practical to consider in advance what measures to take in the event that information is taken out or leaked. FRONTEO's "Retirees' PC Maintenance Service" is a service that preserves all retirees' PC data, making it possible to conduct a smooth investigation and secure evidence even in the unlikely event that information is leaked or confidential information is taken out. .
In most companies, a retired employee's PC is initialized and used as a PC for another employee.This service ensures the authenticity of data in the event of an incident by duplicating retired employee's PC data using the correct method before initializing the PC.If we suspect fraud by a retired employee, we will immediately investigate the duplicate data stored by FRONTEO and find a solution.FRONTEO, which has conducted numerous fraud investigations, provides a one-stop, quick, accurate, and highly reliable forensic investigation using in-house developed AI.
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