There are many ways to protect the network and equipment in your business or organization, but when used correctly, none is more powerful than a least privilege policy. When you implement a least privilege policy, you are giving your employees the least amount of access necessary to do their jobs. The important thing to remember is that you must be practical when assigning permissions, and keep in mind that there are many applications that may be necessary to do the job at hand. With any password protection software, you can compartmentalize the different departments and keep them separate when assigning permissions. There is no need to assign the same restrictions to everyone in the company. You can eliminate Internet usage, instant messengers, and personal e-mail clients. Not only will this stop the accidental introduction of malicious programs to your network, but it will also improve productivity among your employees.

When you implement a least privilege policy, the password is the most important aspect. There is no reason to purchase password protection software if you plan to use a predictable password. You can specify individual passwords to each employee, which should discourage the sharing of passwords among colleagues, too. When you select a password that is not easily guessed, you can also virtually eliminate the possibility of outside forces breaching the security of your network. Changing the passwords on a regular basis is also recommended, or you may find that enterprising individuals find their own ways in.

A least privilege program can also monitor all of the work done on a daily basis. When you use this software, you will be aware of your employees’ productivity, and you will see ways to improve on the amount of work done each day. The keystroke monitor will let you know if employees are attempting access to forbidden areas, or if an employee shared his or her password with someone they shouldn’t have.

These software programs may seem expensive when you begin shopping around, but you should keep in mind that data recovery can cost tens of thousands of dollars. When you leave your network unprotected, you put your company at risk of damaged or destroyed data. The price you pay for password protection software is much lower than the cost of cleaning up a mess after the fact. Better safe than sorry is a popular motto for a good reason.