Cybersecurity, social computing and business conduct guidelines for interns

As the school year draws to a close, interns are poised to begin their summer employment at corporations around the globe. Just like any other employee. Cybersecurity, social computing and business conduct guideline education should be mandatory at every company. Here’s why:

1. Cybersecurity. Did you know that greater than 60% of security incidents are internal and 99% are accidents? Interns need to protect themselves by not falling for phishing attack, using secure passphrases, password wallets and multi-factor authentication where available. 
2. Social Computing Guidelines. Posting client details or confidential sales information online hurts has serious consequences. In addition, interns need to exercise caution when posting images of their workspace to be sure that nothing confidential is visible. When in doubt, don’t post.
3. Business Conduct Guidelines. Adherence to a code of business conduct and ethics is the key to acting responsibly and legally for all employees - including interns.

While an intern’s employment may be limited to just a few months, the risks are significant. Creating a culture of security and increasing one’s “Security IQ” is critical to protecting both the employer and the intern.