Question

Write a minimum 5 page paper on security issues in today’s workplace.  

1) Identify the various types of potential security issues an employer may have to deal with.

2) Give examples to illustrate each of these potential security issues.

Answer 1

• Information Security:

Protecting the company's proprietary information, regardless of size of a company, has always been one of the biggest challenges. A threat can come from competitors, hackers or even foreign espionage efforts, even an employee to obtain personal or corporate information contained in data storage and data repository systems, damaging the servers and that might be of potential value to themselves or others which could be for competition threat purpose or monetary gains. Hence, cyber security is therefore given a paramount importance nowadays in any company. Example- recent case of Cambridge analytics who stole and misused Face book user data for various purposes, political/ monetary. Since, IT is considered as a backbone of any industry and company, a security issue can disturb and even stop any kind of operations in a company, be a supply chain or Sales.

• Personnel Security:

Employee violence, especially for women who work in night shifts like in a BPO or call center or some outsourcing companies is a key issue nowadays. Example- in India, specifically in Delhi NCR region there have occurred many issues related to rapes, abduction, threatening etc. where many women employees have suffered and even lives were lost. Hence, security within company to avoid any fights/ conflicts, security while picking employees from home or dropping them from work, if not dealt safely can hamper company’s image plus employees’ lives. A criminal employee if background check not conducted thoroughly can be dangerous in any form to other employees or data security, stealing company’s any assets. Hence, both human resources and management personnel to exercise extra vigilance.

• Health Hazards:

It depends on the nature of the work done by the company, example- manufacturing of chemicals/ medicines/ Ordnance Items etc. and where its facilities are located, example remote sites like ports or in region where limited healthcare is available or similar industries who manufacture such flammable materials, chemicals/ petrochemicals other hazardous substances/ or Oil Rigs prone to fire and explosion threats very often, People sailing on ships in Merchant Navy etc. Even health threats to personnel can be a significant security issue ranging from basic restroom and unhygienic practices to cleaning up spills, injuries from falls, faulty electrical wiring or structural dangers in construction buildings/ malls/ facilities etc. There have been many cases where lives were lost, plus company operations have stopped temporarily for long periods or permanently due to non compliance of handling human safety or not following norms of health hazards or personnel safety in such cases. A big monetary loss and defaming of company name/ paying hefty insurance to employees or other people who suffered due to such risks and losses have been the end results.