Do you agree or disagree with the author's assertions regarding
seasonal employees and cybersecurity risks in the workplace?
Why?
The claims made by the author regarding seasonal employment
and cybersecurity risks are valid. Considering this era of
information, industries like those in the hospitality sector rely on
technology for booking rooms, paying bills, communicating, and
many other activities. These activities enable the Hotels, motels,
and resorts to collect personal information like credit card details,
names, addresses, and phone numbers. This information offers an
ideal target for cybercriminals to conduct crimes. Seasonal
employment in the hospitality sector pauses a significant
cybersecurity risk to this information. Data needs to be protected
during that period, and the staff needs to be trained to securely
collect and store personal information. These employees are given
access privileges to company data to ensure smooth operations
(Bonderud et al. 2020). However, the company should take
necessary measures to ensure the data is secure during that
period and after the employees leave the company. Therefore, the
article addresses real issues and gives good solutions to ensure
information is secure.
What steps can (should) managers take to reduce security risks
associated with hiring seasonal or temporary employees?
For most seasonal workers, security is an afterthought, given their
short-term commitment to the company. Therefore, employers
should perform background checks on employees. Then they
should train them adequately to ensure they understand cyber
security risks and how to mitigate or prevent them. Seasonal
employees should also have minimal access to personal
information, and it should be for those that fit that job
description. It will be good for the company to perform a self-
assessment and review its security plan before hiring seasonal
employees. Secure computer user training is necessary for
seasonal employees because its principal aim is to provide people
with the required skills to protect sensitive data. Bearing in mind
that human beings are regarded as the weakest cyber security
links, a lot of effort needs to be applied in equipping them with
the required knowledge and skills to decrease those risks (LLC,
2020).
How can managers show leadership in the area of cybersecurity
defenses and best practices?
Managers should manage and monitor the full user life cycle of
seasonal workers. This way, a company can better avoid a breach
that could hinder its success at the most critical moment of the
year. Additionally, a manager should adopt a cyber security-
conscious culture as a leader. This will involve all the employees
putting in a collective effort to safeguard the systems and data
(LLC, 2020). This way, the permanent employees will be conscious
when working with seasonal workers and train them on the best
practices of securing systems and data. Lastly, managers should
concentrate on working to achieve resilience, not just to avoid
risks. Risks can be mitigated but not eliminated. Therefore they
should harden the network using monitoring tools and technical
measures.
References
Bonderud, D., Bonderud, D., & Bonderud, D. (2020, January 3).
Seasonal Employee Security Risks: Present Danger, Proactive
Defense. Retrieved from https://securityintelligence.com/seasonal-
employee-security-risks-present-danger-proactivedefense/
LLC, P. (2020). Ninth annual cost of cybercrime study unlocking
the value of improved cybersecurity protection (2019).
