According to a recent article from CFO, the Department of Homeland Security has said that angry employees pose a “significant” threat to the U.S. community due to the network security issues they cause. The department issued a public service announcement in which it stated that there have been an increasing number of incidents where disgruntled IT workers have used their passwords to destroy data, or obtain customer information so that they can buy goods and services using customer accounts.

These fired employees also obtained proprietary information through the use of cloud storage devices, the article stated, and have continued to access computer networks through unauthorized remote desktop tools. Former employees have also used their access to, and knowledge of, company software to blackmail their former employers for financial gain, the department warned. The costs of these insider attacks have ranged anywhere from $5,000 to $3 million.

In order to prevent such attacks, the government suggests, U.S. companies should take care to immediately terminate the accounts of employees who no longer work there and ensure that they’re not using shared usernames and passwords for remote desktops.

Global IP Networks does everything possible to ensure the safety of data located at our Plano data center, offering safety measures to protect from weather and outside attacks. However, we know that attacks don’t always come from the outside. We care about your business and we’re here to offer expert support and assistance 24/7. For more information on network security and how you can protect your important data, contact us.