If you are looking for reasons to celebrate something with your
employees, Data Privacy Day on January 28 is a good excuse.
It is well recognized that employees are a leading cause of data
breaches. It often occurs as a relatively innocent email sent to
the wrong address, or with the wrong attachment. It could be a lost
or stolen USB storage device or laptop without proper security.
Sometimes it is casual snooping in electronic files beyond the
boundaries of need-to-know. It can also be a criminal act, like the
sale of sensitive information to intended fraudsters (as apparently
occurred in cases involving CIBC and Desjardins). Employees are
also susceptible to phishing scams which can lead to diverted
payments and ransomware, which can shut down a whole organization.
Hackers are going after small to mid-sized businesses as much as
any.
