On the tenth day of cybersecurity distribute brand new office regs

By now, you’ve used the FTC’s small business guides, this IRS resource, and the Sample Information Security Policy in the Member Resource Library, and have written a data security policy for your office. Perhaps you even spoke to a local IT specialist about it. Now is the time to give a copy to everyone who works for you.

Your data security policy is like an addendum to your employee handbook that lays out your expectations for handling confidential client information and information about your business. The security policy document is just as important as the handbook, if not more, so make sure everyone reads it from cover to cover and asks questions about anything they don’t understand.

Here’s a pro tip for you: those documents must stay in the office. Why? You don’t want a copy falling into the wrong hands, because that individual will know what you do and how you do it. When an employee moves on to a different job elsewhere, be sure to collect their copy of the security policy for the same reason.

This isn’t personal, it’s keeping all your business information secure and under your control.