Suppose that one of your staff members returned to work after an extended period of absence. Naturally, you removed all their access to your systems when they went away, for security reasons. If they were away for months, you probably asked them to return their kit too… But how efficiently would you be able to restore their access when they come back?
You’d think it would be quick and simple. After all, you know who they are, you trust them, you know their role and their return date, and you know what they will need to be able to work efficiently. But it doesn’t always work smoothly. For an organisation of any size, that person’s line manager will need to put in an official request for kit to be set up and access to be restored—and this is where the system can fail.
A simple oversight can mean that a returner doesn’t have kit available to use on their return. Typically, kit acquisition, allocation and set-up takes time; ensuring the right access to your systems is an additional step. Not preparing for returners in advance can be an expensive mistake. Productivity is likely to be poor-to-none during the days that they can’t work, especially for knowledge workers. Communication with the returner during the delay—even if only to tell them when the kit will be ready for collection—is likely to require them to use their personal mobile or other device. This may not accord with your security policies. And they may feel demotivated and that their return to work didn’t matter to the company.
Security is not just about technology; the processes must also work effectively to support the needs of the business. Security shouldn’t get in the way of your business objectives.
For help with your joiners-movers-leavers (and returners) processes—or with a different aspect of information security for your business—contact us on 0113 733 6230 or via the contact form.
