Is your company at risk for a data breach? You may think that you have all your security measures in place, but statistics show otherwise. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, last year companies lost billion dollars to data breaches. There are some data breaches that are hard to prepare for (like a software error) and others that come from external attacks. No system is 100% hacker proof. But what If the danger lurks within your company is your very own employees? Employees have access to information within the company that is sometimes confidential. In cases of medical employees, they sometimes have access to important patient data ranging from medical records to social security numbers. In the past few years there have been more and more cases of employees stealing this information and selling it or using it to commit fraud. Are your employees stealing your information? You may not know until it’s too late.

There are some precautions you can take from internal and external dangers. By using anti-virus and other security measures like encryption, you can help to keep your data safe from cyber threats, but how do you keep it safe from those who need that data to do their jobs every day? You can do background checks on your employees and interview them extensively, but unfortunately a few rotten apples still manage to slip their way through. Here are three tips on how you can prevent a data breach from your employees:

Limit Access

A person who is making appointments doesn’t really need to know a patients entire social security number or medical history. Neither does the person filing paperwork. Limit access to information based on a person need to know. That way you can control the amount of people who have access to information. You can also use encryption or a system where the employee has to enter in certain pieces of information given to them by the patient (like a social security number or birth date) in order to access.

Manage Devices

More and more employees are on the go and taking their work devices with them. In this BYOD (bring your own device) culture, it’s easier for data be shared. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a good thing. What if your employee left their phone or tablet in the bar and it contains your customer or patient information? If you had an app that helps you monitor your employees, you could remotely view the device and even wipe the device of information instantly.

Check In

Monitoring your employees download history, device use and email history can give you an indication if they are taking information they shouldn’t home with them. By monitoring their activity, you may be able to nip a data theft in the bud. Regularly check their computers, and browsing history manually. Also check if they have installed any software that can aid in data theft or can allow them to browse anonymously.

No employer can be 100% sure that their employees aren’t stealing from them. It’s impossible. The same ACFE study showed that 75% of employees have stolen from their employer at least once. It may be as harmless as taking a stapler home with them, it also can be as serious as a theft of data. Don’t let your business be a statistic, prevent the situation from happening by taking precautions now.

Author Bio:

Bernie Leer is a financial advisor and small business consultant. He is also a contributor to the blog at Sniper Spy, an app that helps you monitor your employees and keeps them honest.