What is the importance of “Deterring the Physical Removal of Confidential Information,” as the third cybersecurity initiative that every employer should take pursuant to the same goal?
At times, employees can misappropriate confidential information by removing it physically from the workplace. This implies that employers should not only restrict the digital theft or removal of confidential information but they should also curb and prohibit the physical removal of confidential information. This could be done through the adoption of cybersecurity policies restricting employees from removing trade secrets and/or confidential information such as files, documents, and data from the workplace. Such policies should specify that no employee, whether authorized or unauthorized to access and use such information, should physically remove, whether in their copied or original form, any confidential information from the employer’s premises.
Additionally, such policies and measures should dictate and specify who should have access to printers and/or photocopiers at the workplace, as well as contain restricted printing and/or photocopying permissions for any digital or non-digital information that is considered confidential by the employer. Through such measures and policies, employers may prevent unauthorized dissemination and misappropriation of trade secrets and other confidential information that may be physically removed from their premises. Importantly, an employer may succeed in convincing a court that by setting up measures and adopting policies to deter and restrict the physical removal of confidential information from their business premises, they took reasonable steps to protect confidential information and trade secrets.
We hope that we have enlightened you with key information on how you, as an employer, can adopt policies and measures to deter and restrict the physical removal of confidential information to ensure that they are safe and secure from unauthorized access and eventual misappropriation and dissemination.
In Part VIII of this series, we shall move the discussion forward by hammering on “Prohibiting Employee Use of Portable Mobile & Storage Devices,” which is the fourth initiative among several “Vital Cybersecurity Initiatives that Employers Should Take” as part of taking reasonable steps in protecting their trade secrets and confidential information.
As usual, stay tuned for more legal guidance, training, and education. In the interim, if there are any questions or comments, please let us know at the Contact Us page!
Always rising above the bar,
Isaac T.,
Legal Writer & Author.