3 Red Flags to Look Out For with Your IT Staff

One of the most important factors that you should consider when looking for IT staff is how much you can trust them. After all, they’re dealing with your technology. You’re trusting them with incredible responsibility. Therefore, you need to be sure they are honest, hard-working individuals. How can you ensure that you aren’t getting blindsided by your IT staff?

Roger Grimes of InfoWorld discusses several warning signs that he’s encountered in the past that might hint toward sketchy behavior from your technology department. Here are three of these warning signs you should look out for.

Have They Failed a Background Check?
Normally, a failed background check could mean that the potential hire isn’t a reliable choice. However, Grimes suggests to look beyond that at why the individual fails a background check. People make mistakes, and some can haunt us for the rest of our lives, even if they were decades ago. The overarching problem is if the person has lied about their background and their check comes up negative. It’s important for prospective team members to be honest and forthcoming about their past, in order to foster a relationship built on trust. In fact, Grimes claims that his employees who have less-than-stellar backgrounds were exceptionally useful when identifying real criminals.

They Are Privy to Sensitive Information
This should immediately be a warning sign. If your team knows information that they shouldn’t have access to, it may be a clue that they’re up to something. For example, an employee who is aware of changes that are being implemented before they are even announced to the staff is probably poking his nose around where it doesn’t belong. This might bring up the question of whether or not they’re stealing confidential data, like client credit card numbers or Social Security numbers, and using it to make fraudulent purchases or otherwise.

They Leave the Company in a Fit of Rage
This is one of the most dangerous scenarios your business can experience. We all have that one employee who does a lot, and is well-respected for his hard work around the office. However, what happens when that employee finally snaps from overworking himself? Will he get all fired up over it and leave in a frenzy, or will he respectfully put in his two weeks notice and leave without incident? If he chooses the former, and he was privy to sensitive information like client usernames and passwords, he could cause a lot of trouble for your business in the blink of an eye. Therefore, it’s important that you or your remaining IT staff take the responsibility of changing all passwords associated with the company or its clients.

Outsourced IT from Preferred
While utilizing your in-house IT staff certainly has its advantages, an outsourced IT agency like Preferred doesn’t come with any strings attached. Our trusted IT professionals have proven time and again that they can be trusted to handle technology in the most efficient way possible.

To prevent unauthorized users from accessing information they shouldn’t, we can set up user permissions that restrict network access to select individuals. We can also react to employee turnover by minimizing the risk associated with their leaving the company. We can even integrate security cameras and remote monitoring protocol to ensure that your team isn’t pulling the wool over your eyes. Just give us a call at 708-781-7110 to learn more.