Being a network administrator is not a job for the weak of heart, or for someone who likes to sleep.

I have a customer that is going through a major personnel transition, where a large portion of the workforce is being asked to leave. Every one of these users are a named user on the network with universal access to a shared network folder.

Many small-businesses forget to consult with IT before they dismiss employees, which is a major mistake. Given that just about every business today is centered around their IT resources, it would be prudent for them to do just that. I feel that companies should consult IT first right after they consult HR, here is why.

In small network operations, companies normally don’t use an enterprise class application with secured database servers, limited user accounts and file level security. Networks are predominantly file based, some perhaps with a server component but it only serves to make database queries faster on single file data stores which are published (Quickbooks, Peachtree).

A scorned user can quicky delete files, or worse edit files in ways that are hard to detect, with no transaction logging to roll back changes if they do occur. Malicious attacks may go un noticed until months later, well outside of any backup rotation.

I feel that when an employee is to be dismissed, IT should be notified before the employee is, so IT can take a network wide snapshot of the data and then disable that users login to network. Email resources should be restricted and physical security to the network server should be verified and tightened if possible. The users workstation should also be disabled if appropriate.

At the discretion of HR,  it would be appropriate the the employee is given his severence pay and escorted off the property. Any removable storage should be collected, evaluated and returned to the employee after it has been verified that it does not contain sensitive data.

These small steps will reduce the heart-ache of your favorite IT guy and give management reassurance that the core of their business is safe.