A Simple Lesson for Employers and Employees Courtesy of the Sony Data Breach

Many Sony executives are embarrassed, to say the least, by their e-mails, which have been made public as a result of their data breach. (http://variety.com/2014/biz/news/leaked-sony-emails-reveal-jokes-about-obama-and-race-1201376676/). I have preached to businesses for a long time that they should make it clear to employees that they do not have an expectation of privacy if they use a work computer for personal business. This has always been my advice to protect the interests of the employers.

In the wake of the Sony breach, as an employee, why in the world would you want to put your personal matters at risk by using your employer’s network to send personal e-mails or conduct personal business? While it is certainly possible that your personal computer will be hacked, there is a greater risk that your employer’s network will be breached. If this happens, personal e-mails you sent using your work e-mail account, and personal business you conducted on your employer’s computer, could end up in the wrong hands. If you accessed your personal bank account using the computer at work, your bank account could be at risk.

The more computers and networks you use to send and receive e-mails and personal data, the greater the risk this this data will be compromised. A basic principal of data security is to limit the number of places at which your data exists, to limit the opportunities for your data to be compromised. Do your work at work, and do your personal business at home.

By: Richard Sheinis, Esq.