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Review your policies and procedures to verify that they are written in a manner that provides for protection of the privacy of those who work with your company in any capacity. For example, make sure that you have a clear privacy policy and that the procedures for storing and safeguarding private information about your employees and customers are solid. This includes financial data as well as any personally identifiable information that is tracked.
It's in your best interest to have your policies reviewed by an attorney who is familiar with the relevant regulations that govern protected information in your industry, such as applicable aspects of the Electronic Data Protection Act (EDPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and other laws that your organization must comply with. You can also visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and read about Fighting Back Against Identity Theft. This publication is also available in brochure form.
Whatever your identity theft prevention policies are, you must enforce them consistently. Publish them in your employee manual and verify that they are being followed. It's important to periodically conduct audits so that you can be certain the guidelines you have are being followed correctly. Additionally, your policies and procedures should be reviewed on a regular basis, so that you can be sure they remain current and sufficient to protect your company.
