‘Ghost’ Accounts of Dismissed and Redundant Staff Pose Data Security Risks
Leading print and IT security provider RBC Technology Group says many Australian businesses are at risk of losing data or having their system compromised by failing to close down ‘ghost’ accounts on their network.
RBC Technology Groups Michael Manton said staff who had been made redundant or dismissed were often left with remote access to the company’s computer network, which left the door open for security breaches.
He said RBC had recently conducted an audit of one company which had more than 100 ‘ghost’ accounts from staff who had left the company but still had the virtual keys to proprietary information.
Mr Manton said RBC’s IP2ME platform offers protection which includes the ability to track logins and keep networks secure.
“It’s something that a lot of business owners just don’t consider when they find themselves in the position where they have to scale back their number of staff, or even if staff leave of their own accord,” he said.
“If they don’t remove their access to the computer network then they are sitting ducks for a security breach.
“Of course most people do the right thing and respect their former employer, but it only takes one person to do the wrong thing.
“Even if there’s no malicious intent, there’s human error and the fact that staff may be taking advantage of subscriptions, software or services they are no longer entitled to.”
Mr Manton said Docs2Me and IP2Me were also designed to track activity from enrolled staff.
“There are many companies relying on freelance or casual staff who work out of the office, so these programs are useful to track their activity and manage system access,” he said.
“It also means that when these staff log in to the network remotely, they can be confident they won’t unwittingly unleash a virus, built in malware protection is a must.”
