How has cyber technology created opportunities for workplace deviance?

Workplace deviation is “deliberate, malicious attempts to sabotage an organization by causing problems in the workplace,” according to HRZone. With advancements in communication technologies and the general advent of the Internet, workplace deviance has increased in the ways it can be carried out. Some might note that with sufficient cyber security safeguards organizations and companies do not have to worry. This would simply be untrue. An employee or insider need only use their own channels of communications to violate confidentiality. Some may say the solution is to heavily restrict what kind of devices are brought into the workplace. Ignoring the fact that most would object to such draconian and heavy-handed controls, there is the threat of even those that maintain these cyber safeguards will misuse their escalated privileges. Small acts like shaving pennies or the digital equivalent are to note. Even if the culprit is caught, the act is still committed. Again, some may propose monitoring systems for this, but at what point does heavy monitoring erode trust or even affect an organization’s velocity? This balancing act of invasive implementations weighed against the value of what is to be protected is always happening. But this alone doesn’t even solve whether the solution is properly implemented. Using a wrench to screw a nail only leaves the foundations to be built look safe but ultimately vulnerable to outside threats and more so to insiders with an inkling of the blueprint if not all.

As anyone can see on plenty of social media posts and company review sites that there is a plethora of disgruntled employees. Motives are many but the only safeguard is to have systems in place to prevent employees from retaliating against a company’s resources. This isn’t a digital problem. It is more a consideration when creating procedure and policies that take into account who can harm any of the three tenets of cyber security.

What is workplace deviance?. HRZone. (2013, July 29). https://www.hrzone.com/hr-glossary/what-is-workplace-deviance