THE IMPACT, ACTION AND CONCERN OF DIGITAL SECURITY 1

The Impact, Action and Concern of Digital Security and Privacy in the Workplace

Mackenzie Curry

The University of Alabama

THE IMPACT, ACTION AND CONCERN OF DIGITAL SECURITY 2

The Impact, Action and Concern of Digital Security and Privacy in the Workplace

Introduction

Technology keeps on improving, there is not denying that every year something better

that before makes it way on the market. But with the advancing tools comes the increased

security risks. There is the never end balancing act companies have with protecting their

businesses, and with respecting the privacy of their employees. There is an ethical and practical

side to every argument when it comes to cyber security in a digital workplace. Digital security

and privacy is a continuous battle of morals for employers. While educating employees of the

risks many argue that it is an invasion of personal privacy, others agree with the idea of

protecting the company in as many was as possible.

Impact of Security Practices on Employee Behaviors

The first step in protecting personal electronics from cyber risks is to be aware of how

cyber attacks can happen, and to protect personal electronics. More organizations and business

are becoming proactive against the rising risks in the workplace and everyday life. Implementing

security policies is the right idea to keep employers aware of what is possible and how to

minimize the chance to be a victim, but studies have shown that employees underestimate what

can happen and the policies are not as effective (Li, He, Ivan, Xu, Anwar, Yuan, 2014). Training

methods were implemented into a workplace to physically show employers what to do and what

could happen, that is when it became effective and behaviors changes to benefit the individuals

and the company. The study showed the biggest weakness in cyber security is when an

individuals beliefs and behavior about things like their vulnerability and susceptibility of cyber

attacks or even the severity it can be was not proactive or as concerning as it should be. Owning

a computer or smart phone puts someone at immediate risk. Researchers found that organizations
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that make the effort to have a cyber security policy and make the effort to educate employees

about actions to protect themselves have a higher employee concern and awareness about

security breaches (Li, He, Ivan, Xu, Anwar, Yuan, 2014). It was also found that employees think

that employers or colleagues are responsible for cyber protection and that individual effort is not

as important; individual effort is just as crucial as community protection when it comes to cyber

security. By implementing explicit cyber security information and training programs within a

company, employers are better able to educate their employees about the risks and how to protect

themselves. The information given to employees positively affect and change their behavior

towards better digital protection (Li, He, Ivan, Xu, Anwar, Yuan, 2014).

Company Computer Monitoring

With the ever growing development of new technology, businesses take

advantage of what the digital world has to offer for their companies. Computer-mediated

communication, CMC for short, is communication between people that takes place through two

or more computers or other electronics. Examples of CMC would be tools like e-mail services,

social media websites, skype, instant messenger, etc. These programs have benefitted employees

and businesses in ways to expand networks, work virtually with other companies across the

globe, create a flexible workplace and more (Chory, Vela, Avtgis, 2015). But with every

advantage, there is a disadvantage especially in a digital workplace. Common disadvantages of

the digital workplace can be anything from employee distraction to a break in the cyber security

during a cyber attack. Regardless to what can happen when something does go wrong, it can be

damaging to a company and even individually. Therefore, many companies take part in

monitoring their employees computers, including all types of workplace CMCs to try to prevent

the consequences of hacks into their computer systems (Chory, Vela, Avtgis, 2015). From an
THE IMPACT, ACTION AND CONCERN OF DIGITAL SECURITY 4

employers perspective, monitoring employees is necessary for cyber security and when dealing

with possible liabilities. Its seen as an attempt to protect the business if possible lawsuits were to

happen regarding an employee or the company about discrimination, sexual harassment or other

concerns. Every computer has its own record that never goes away, even when it is deleted. If a

company were to get into a dispute with a customer, or one employee were to sue another for

something like sexual harassment in the office a persons electronic history can be retrieved and

used in lawsuits if it was needed (Chory, Vela, Avtgis, 2015). By having employers monitor any

communication on all CMCs used within a workplace they can protect the business from

possible issues. Meaning, that includes personal CMC accounts that are used on a company

computer. Using personal social media accounts or emails on an office computer would allow

the employer to monitor any search email or message that was sent from or received to that

computer. This act of security is only one part of what else can be done for protecting digital

workplaces, the misuse of any activity on the internet by an employee can always find its way

back to an employer, protecting the company from any possible risks by eliminating the

possibility of misconduct or security breeches keeps the company ahead of the game (Eivazi,

2011). The goal for companies to protect company and its employees personal information and

reputation, so when it comes to any information that is stored in any electronic device provided

by the company there can no expectation of privacy (Haskins, 2014).

Concerns with Personal Privacy

Many employees expressed concerned of their privacy and the question of if what was

happening was fair creating a tension within the company (Chory, Vela, Avtgis, 2015). Theft and

cyber attacks can happen to anyone at any company, leaking confidential emails and documents

or personal employee information like social security numbers can be stolen and ruin a company
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or persons life in seconds. Every employee has a right to their own privacy, and employers try

their best to respect the privacy of their workers but the reputation and efficiency of the business

is a long-term priority. A question of how the invasion of personal privacy and how employers

were getting access to employees digital history worries employees. Other concerns like misuse

of data collected from the monitoring (Eivazi, 2011), and the lost feeling of trust between

employer and employee while constantly being watched.

Conclusion

Although the thought of having every move made while on the computer was

electronically recorded at someone elses disposal can be strange or frightening, it truly has

become a necessity in the digital workplace. Its needed to protect the business, but also to protect

the employees. Organizations are changing for the better to be able to change with the new

technology, instead of falling behind. Having a secure network is make or break for a business,

monitoring computers is only a fraction of what is done to protect every piece of information. If

there was not a need for monitoring, it wouldnt happen. Any CMC that takes place on a work

computer should already be kept professional and work related, personal conversations and

accounts should be left at home. The concern of having CMCs watched could raise concern and

questions for employers as to why it would be such a problem.

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References

Chory, R. M., Vela, L. E., & Avtgis, T. A. (2015). Organizational Surveillance of Computer

Mediated Workplace Communication: Employee Privacy Concerns and

Responses. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 28(1), 23-43.

doi:10.1007/s10672-015-9267-4

Eivazi, K. (2011). Computer use monitoring and privacy at work. Computer Law & Security

Review, 27(5), 516-523. doi:10.1016/j.clsr.2011.07.003

Haskins, K. (n.d.). Workplace Privacy in the Digital Worl. New Hampshire Motor Transport

Association, (2014 Annual Directory), 39-45. Retrieved from

http://www.preti.com/content/uploads/2014/04/Workplace-Privacy-in-the-Digital

Age.pdf

Li, L., He, W., Xu, L., Ivan, A., Anwar, M., & Yuan, X. (2014). Does Explicit Information

Security Policy Affect Employees Cyber Security Behavior? A Pilot Study. 2014

Enterprise Systems Conference. doi:10.1109/es.2014.66