The evolution of the job market is rapidly taking shape globally with the emergence of new practices and challenges. Huge industries are supplementing their workforce with seasonal employees. While the strategy helps such companies increase efficiency and satisfy their customers, it presents myriad security risks. Seasonal employment tends to threaten critical data, intellectual property, and could lead to fraud (Bonderud, 2016). Hence, human resource managers should be on high alert to take precautions. In the firm where I undertook my internship, the Chief of Staff hosted a working lunch for the company’s interns. Apart from the introduction, we were advised to write a discussion of a given article and provide individual responses to two additional questions.
Douglas Bonderud, a freelance writer with expertise in technology and innovation, wrote a detailed article on November 2, 2016, presenting the best practices to mitigate seasonal employee security risks. The author provides convincing claims about temporary workers and their consequent cybersecurity risks in the workplace, which I wholly concur with it. I agree with the assertions that despite the non-permanent workers being crucial to some industries, they come with enormous challenges, which the firm should find proper ways to address. Short-term employees understand their stay is short-lived and can decide to use their access to client’s data to make a dishonest living out of it once their contract ends (Bonderud, 2016). Usually, the practice happens if the employees were not happy with the way the company treated them. Thus, as the author claims, the company needs to vet new employees thoroughly, closely monitor their access to critical data, and treat them well. The author’s arguments are plausible and practical.
Nonetheless, managers should implement necessary procedures to reduce security risks associated with employing temporary employees. The first crucial step is conducting a thorough background check and vetting before hiring. Most employers overlook the importance of this process as they are in a rush to fill the vacancies. The hiring personnel can easily eliminate rogue applicants in this first step. Secondly, enhancing proper security control could reduce the risks. Managers can lower the threats by minimizing the employees’ access to customers’ data when not necessary. Lastly, taking time to train the workers adequately saves the company from the risk of cybersecurity. The most appropriate way is for the managers to develop the Secure Computer User training course. Thus, the organizations can reduce the security risks of hiring seasonal employees by following the three described steps.
Meanwhile, the managers can demonstrate leadership in cybersecurity defense and related crucial practices. Since security risks and not limited to the IT department only, manages should develop and embrace solid security culture. Everyone within the organization should have a core understanding of security. Such can only be possible if the top management adopts a cyber security-conscious culture (Reegård et al., 2019). Additionally, the executive should consistently provide up-to-date education on security threats. Managers can do so by introducing the topic during meetings, sending emails, and even having training for all staff each month. In doing so, they would be seen as cybersecurity leaders, and others would follow their guide.
Overall, cybersecurity is a serious challenge facing most organizations in the 21st century. The hiring of temporary employees further worsens the security threats as some workers could be rogue. However, the management can reduce the risks by vetting the employees thoroughly, enhancing proper security control, and providing adequate training to the workers. It is also crucial for managers to become cybersecurity leaders by developing and adopting robust security culture. Up-to-date education on cybersecurity threats is equally a crucial strategy.
References
Bonderud, D. (2016). Seasonal employee security risks: Present danger, proactive defense. Security Intelligence. Web.
Reegård, K., Blackett, C., & Katta, V. (2019). The concept of a cybersecurity culture. 29th European Safety and Reliability Conference (ESREL), 4036-4042. Web.