Guest Editorial by Anurag Lal, CEO of NetSfere

Rising inflation, reduced consumer spending, and over-staffing during the pandemic have left the tech industry with the difficult decision of laying off staff.

As the new reality sets in for these tech companies, the integrity of their security is in question.

In recent months, more than 70,000 people employed by some of the nation’s top tech powerhouses, including Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Amazon, Meta, Salesforce, and more, have been laid off.

(Tech companies went on a hiring spree when the pandemic hit, and people were spending more money on digital services and goods. Now those same companies are slashing their workforce in mass layoffs. Courtesy of Insider News and YouTube. Posted on Apr 3, 2023.)

When employees are let go, sometimes they leave upset, angry, and disgruntled.

These down-on-their-luck employees can threaten company IP and privileged information – especially if they are privy to sensitive and private company information.

In some cases, employees can become vengeful and create a path of damage before being off-boarded.

While some companies can conduct this process quickly, others, especially with a hybrid or remote work model, may take longer.

During this time, disgruntled former employees can swipe important contact information, save undisclosed email conversations or account logins, for example, and wreak havoc on the company.

Before executive leadership decides to deploy layoffs, CISOs need to air on the side of caution and be prepared to take the proper steps to ensure a seamless offboarding process.

Important Steps for You to Consider Include:

Maintain Remote Account Control

Data from McKinsey states that about 92 million people say they can work remotely at least part of the time.

Having this many remote workers can be tricky when managing and maintaining control of employee accounts, especially during a sensitive time such as layoffs.

It is helpful if IT managers have remote account control that would allow them to quickly add or remove accounts and remotely wipe data from employee devices that are no longer authorized to access it. In so doing, an enterprise would forgo the risk of private conversations, data, or files getting into the wrong hands.

Oftentimes, when information is leaked or stolen, an organization’s reputation and trust is tarnished, so it is business critical to reign in the liabilities when possible.

Limit Access Clearance

Similarly, a well-devised structure of organization clearance should always be in use.

Doing so would allow CISOs and IT managers to control which employees have access to certain files, data, and networks and help them identify when an unauthorized employee has information they shouldn’t have.

A tiered structure laying out the most basic access levels up to the most sophisticated and secure levels is recommended.

Send Emergency Alerts, Warn and Educate the Staff about Potential Harm

Lastly, enterprises need to be able to respond rapidly to emergencies or unplanned events to keep their employees safe and their integrity intact.

Deploying emergency alerts can be an effective part of enterprise incident preparedness.

In such a situation as a disgruntled employee leaving the organization on a bad note, the security department can send targeted information to other teams and departments to inform them of the situation and provide appropriate next steps.

(See how 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Champion Genasys Emergency Management software,  adds a powerful and intuitive orchestration and management layer on top of existing physical and digital infrastructure—enhancing clarity, reach and range when managing critical events. Courtesy of Genasys Inc and YouTube.)

Employees must also be routinely educated and updated about security policies, potential risks facing the enterprise, and the consequences of poor efforts to remain protected.

Cyber attacks are not a question of if anymore; it is a question of when.

Most organizations will undergo an attack, but it is best to ensure it doesn’t happen at the hands of upset ex-employees.

(Learn how NetSfere Enables Communication. Messaging, Voice, Video in One Secure, Compliant, Private Enterprise-Grade Platform. Gain Total Control of Your Business Communications – Anytime, Anywhere, Any Device. Courtesy of NetSfere and Vimeo.)

About the Author

With more than 25 years of leadership experience in technology, mobile, SaaS, cloud, and telecom services, Anurag Lal, who serves as CEO and President of NetSfere, a secure enterprise communication platform, and leads a talented team of innovators who are transforming everyday messaging technology into secure, highly scalable communication platforms.

Before NetSfere, Lal served as Senior Vice President at Meru Networks, Chief Business Development, Sales Officer at iPass Inc., and Vice President of Internet and Multimedia Services for British Telecom (Worldwide) and held senior management roles at Sprint International.

During the Obama administration, Lal was Director of the U.S. National Broadband Task Force (part of the Federal Communications Commission – FCC). He assessed global broadband policies, regulations, and best practices, leading to the first-ever national broadband plan.

Leading telecom and business media outlets have interviewed Lal, who often presents at industry conferences on various topics – from wireless technology, spectrum issues, net neutrality, IoT, and security to the future of enterprise messaging and unified communications.

SIMS Software Takes Double Platinum in 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program

American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now entering it’s Eighth Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

 

SIMS Software (First of Two)

Best Security Workforce Management Platform

• Security Information Management System

• SIMS Software is the leading provider of industrial security information management software to some of the world’s most renowned government agencies, defense contractors, high technology giants, academic institutions, and research facilities.

• For almost 40 years, the flagship product, Security Information Management System (SIMS), has been the most trusted solution on the market to protect classified and high-value information.

• As the role of a security professional continues to transform with increased responsibilities, evolving compliance requirements, and multifaceted, aggressive threats towards their organization, having a complete solution has never been more imperative.

• SIMS Software provides security professionals with powerful management-level metrics and a 360° view of their organization at their fingertips: reducing data calls, allowing for tracking of assets specific to the organizational requirements, and providing on-demand trend analysis for early detection and insider threat prevention.

• Purpose-built, SIMS provides all the features and functionality necessary to run a powerful, paperless industrial security program with a single system of record, and includes 17 fully integrated modules for a fully automated 360° view of every physical, virtual and human asset inside your security domain.

• SIMS manages visitors, classified contracts, information tracking, and control as well as personnel security clearance monitoring at all levels, and supports all National Industrial Security Operating Manual (NISPOM), Special Access Programs (SAP), and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) requirements.

• SIMS is a robust solution that supports the development costs and interoperability issues associated with in-house developed solutions, which are often more expensive and require in-demand IT resources, and has been designed to meet the hosting needs of all sizes and types of organizations offering both on-prem and cloud hosting options.

• Focused on evolving customer needs and government regulations, SIMS Software combines proven performance, consistent innovation, and unmatched customer service to deliver a uniquely powerful security information management system. By equipping security stakeholders with the tools to protect the lifeblood of their organizations, SIMS Software is proud to play a vital role in advancing the interests of our nation and its allies at home and abroad.

• SIMS provides all the features and functionality necessary to run a powerful, paperless industrial security program with a single system of record so clients can escape the development costs and interoperability issues associated with in-house solutions.

 

SIMS Software (Second of Two)

Best Insider Threat Solution

• SIMS Insider Threat Tool Management System

• The proliferation of insider threats is a complex and persistent challenge for all national security stakeholders. From the surge in super-malicious personas to simple carelessness on the job, insider threats are pervasive and elusive and are increasing at an alarming rate.

• As the leader of industrial security information management for almost four decades, SIMS Software has elevated insider threat detection into a science, providing a fully automated 360° view of every physical, virtual, and human asset inside a security domain.

• Customers are provided with the technology tools necessary to see the risk landscape, so they can detect, deter, and mitigate insider threats, stay compliant with government requirements, and protect their high-value information and assets.

• Companies often operate in siloed cultures and practices across their organization which may interfere with information sharing. However, SIMS helps to break down those silos to harmonize data and see the patterns for a unique system-of-record for any compliance program where security operations, cyber security, and other functional areas such as HR and Risk Management can work together, share information and track insider threat cases.

• SIMS includes an Insider Threat Utility that empowers organizations to establish proprietary threat models based on their existing data and the risk indicators that matter most to each unique organization, so security professionals can view key metrics across the enterprise, track and catalog cases, view what was reported, investigated, and adjudicated to help the enterprise reduce risk and spot trends.

• From negligent or disgruntled employees to hostile nation-state actors, the costs and consequences of insider threats can be staggering. SIMS Software offers a strategic opportunity to deliver a genuine ROI for businesses, and saves organizations costly expenses by providing security stakeholders the opportunity to deter and mitigate, protect the company brand reputation, and retain customer trust.

• Focused on evolving customer needs and government regulations, SIMS Software combines proven performance, constant innovation, and unmatched customer service to deliver a uniquely powerful security information management system.

• SIMS supports all National Industrial Security Operating Manual (NISPOM), Special Access Programs (SAP), and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) requirements, and equips security stakeholders with the tools to protect the lifeblood of their organizations, speed detection, improve accuracy and stay ahead of the threat.

• *SIMS Software is also a Returning Premier Sponsor for their Third Consecutive Year, and was recognized as an ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champion in the 2021 ‘Homeland Security Awards Program.

 

The continually evolving ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program will highlight the trail of Accomplished Women in Leadership in 2023 and the Significance and Positive Impact of Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in our Next Generation of Government and Industry Leaders. Because #MentorshipMatters.

So be on the lookout for exciting upcoming announcements of Speakers, Presenters, Book Signing Opportunities, and Attendees at the 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon in November of 2023 in New York City!

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.

Comprehensive List of Categories Include:

Access Control/ Identification	Personal/Protective Equipment	Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism
Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System	Interagency Interdiction Operation	Cloud Computing/Storage Solution
Facial/IRIS Recognition	Body Worn Video Product	Cyber Security
Video Surveillance/VMS	Mobile Technology	Anti-Malware
Audio Analytics	Disaster Preparedness	ID Management
Thermal/Infrared Camera	Mass Notification System	Fire & Safety
Metal/Weapon Detection	Rescue Operations	Critical Infrastructure
License Plate Recognition	Detection Products	COVID Innovations
Workforce Management	Government Security Programs	And Many Others to Choose From!

Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?

Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher, at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

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