{"id":13569,"date":"2018-10-12T09:10:11","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T17:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2018\/10\/12\/news-7336\/"},"modified":"2018-10-12T09:10:11","modified_gmt":"2018-10-12T17:10:11","slug":"news-7336","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2018\/10\/12\/news-7336\/","title":{"rendered":"Workplace violence: the forgotten insider threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: Jovi Umawing| Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2018 16:00:00 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n

Organizations are no stranger to insider threats. In fact, for those who have been around long before the Internet, workplace violence, (alongside spying) is a problem many businesses have seen before and sought to address.<\/p>\n

However, the adoption and use of the Internet completely changed the way organizations run and grow their businesses, how customers can communicate with companies, and how employees do their jobs. And with this advancement\u2014as we\u2019re well aware by now\u2014comes new, more sophisticated challenges that can compound the risks that organizations face from insiders.<\/p>\n

When it comes to security, many enterprises are focused on beefing up their system and network defenses to keep outside hackers from getting their hands on digital assets. In addition, organizations are now more aware of the threat that malicious insiders pose\u2014whether that’s stealing proprietary information or spying for competitors. Yet it seems that little or no attention is given to addressing workplace violence as a whole.<\/p>\n

An overview of workplace violence<\/h3>\n

In our previous blog on insider threats<\/a>, we defined workplace violence (WPV) as \u201cviolence or threat of violence against employees and\/or themselves.\u201d This can manifest in the form of physical attacks, threatening or intimidating behavior and speech (written, verbal, or electronically transmitted), harassment, property damage, or other acts that could put people at risk.<\/p>\n

Early signs of potential for violence include threats of bodily harm (often framed as a joke, a passing comment, or a verbalization of\u00a0violent thoughts), insults, passive-aggressive actions, dramatic or unreasonable demands, withdrawal (especially if they used to be sociable), and sudden undue whining or complaining. Other manifestations<\/a>\u00a0may not be evident at first, too.<\/p>\n

Knowing this, one might think it is essential for organizations of any size to be able to identify and tackle workplace violence head on, on top of improving their network defenses. Sadly, this isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n

Although organizations are required by law<\/a>\u00a0to keep employees safe by creating a healthy, hazard-free workplace environment, almost half of executives<\/a>\u00a0in a corporate survey conducted by TAL Global, a security and risk management company, believe that \u201cworkplace violence is not an issue that needs to be addressed.\u201d It\u2019s also frustrating to note that more than half of these executives \u201cdo not believe that workplace violence will create a negative impact on their budget.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a serious oversight, especially when the Department of Justice estimates that workplace violence costs US businesses about $36 billion per year<\/a>\u00a0in lost productivity, property, and most importantly, employee lives.<\/p>\n

The workplace, redefined<\/h3>\n

While we\u2019re about WPV, it\u2019s important to remind ourselves that the definition of \u201cworkplace\u201d has evolved over time and is no longer confined within the walls of a traditional office building. Today, the workplace can be your home, your favorite coffee shop, the local library, or even a\u00a0co-working space<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Over the last decade, the number of telecommuting workers has increased by 115 percent, according to\u00a0a 2017 report<\/a>\u00a0from Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs. And while\u00a0working from home is beneficial<\/a>\u00a0for both employees and employers, it also comes with its own risks.<\/p>\n

While organizations must be sure to protect their\u00a0sensitive client and company data accessed outside of the office network by remote workers<\/a>, they also have to ensure workplace security in the telecommuter\u2019s home office.<\/p>\n

Why? Because a home office, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is still under the employer\u2019s jurisdiction. Therefore, they must make sure that home offices are safe and hazard-free<\/a>. This could also mean that policies governing workplace violence could be adapted from the office to the home office.<\/p>\n

Is workplace violence on the rise?<\/h3>\n

Perhaps. The TL;DR answer to that question is this: It depends on the industry (e.g., incidents of\u00a0workplace violence in healthcare<\/a>\u00a0are far more common than in other industries) or the type of violent incident (e.g., non-fatal assaults have decreased while workplace homicides<\/a> have increased).<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether WPV has decreased or increased, it’s clear that the issue needs addressing. The promotion and adherence to the \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t happen to us!\u201d myth<\/a>\u00a0didn\u2019t save organizations from hackers breaching their systems, so why should it keep them from WPV incidents?<\/p>\n

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Read: 5 cybersecurity questions retailers must ask to protect their businesses<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Types of WPV<\/h3>\n

Talking about workplace violence may conjure up highly-publicized images of active shooters stationed on campus. Let us keep in mind, however, that not all workplace violence events happen this way. According to Steve Crimando, an expert in the field of threat assessment and threat management, there are five current types<\/a> we all need to familiarize ourselves with. They are:<\/p>\n