When it comes to data security, it must start on day one. Every new hire should receive not only training but also a new employee onboarding data security checklist to reference and keep for future use. Today, we are here to teach you about the risks new staff pose to data security, the common threats they will face, and to provide you with a detailed checklist you can use in your onboarding process.
Why New Employees Are a Data Security Vulnerability
Every new hire introduces a new access point into a business. It can range from getting a company email to more sensitive data, such as software logins, physical files, customer records, HR documents, internal systems, and shared drives.
Onboarding a new employee is an especially high-risk moment. New employees are still learning to navigate internal systems, use approved communication channels, handle physical documents, and understand what constitutes sensitive information.
As a result, they may not recognize phishing attempts or suspicious links. They may also accidentally save files to the wrong location, print confidential information and leave it unattended, use unauthorized apps, or even share sensitive files through insecure channels.
Translated into numbers, IBM’s 2025 report found that human error accounted for 26% of breach root causes. That is over one quarter of all major incidents. Fortunately, there is a way to prevent this from happening: understanding common threats and completing a new employee onboarding data security checklist.
Common Threats New Employees Should Recognize
$4.9 million was the global average cost of a data breach in 2024. IBM found that phishing was the most common initial attack vector in 2025, responsible for 16% of breaches.
New hires may be targeted because they are unfamiliar with the company’s normal communication patterns. They may receive fake emails, login pages, invoice requests, insecure attachments, false links, fake updates, unauthorized browser extensions, and vendor impersonations. AI, in particular, is making this even harder to recognize, with AI-generated content and deep fakes making scams even more believable.
Another common threat is internal. IBM reported that for the second year in a row, malicious insider attacks resulted in the highest average breach costs among initial
threat vectors. Often, this comes from physical document exposure. New employees are more likely to leave printed contracts, HR documents, client records, tax documents, or financial reports on desks, in printers, or in regular trash. This makes for easy pickings for inside attacks.
To reduce this and other vulnerabilities, following this new employee onboarding data security checklist can help.
New Employee Onboarding Data Security Checklist
A strong new employee onboarding data security checklist sets clear expectations from the start and helps prevent avoidable mistakes before they become costly security gaps. While this list needs to be customized for a business’s unique needs, it is a great starting outline.
- Review What Counts as Sensitive Data
First and foremost, new employees must be trained to recognize what counts as sensitive data. At the top of the list is personally identifiable information (PII). From there, it depends on the company’s unique circumstances. Still, common sensitive data includes client data, employee records, payroll details, financial files, tax documents, medical information, contracts, login credentials, and internal business records.
- Set Strong Login Standards
Next, you want a checklist of login credentials. This should require unique passwords that are changed routinely, multi-factor authentication, the use of a password manager, and strict rules against sharing credentials.
- Define Approved Tools
Then you want to define what is and isn’t an approved tool. This can refer to apps, platforms, websites, and anything else the employee may need to complete their tasks.
- Clarify Physical Document Handling
Should your employee ever need to handle physical documents containing sensitive information, there should be clear guidelines for handling them. For example, printed materials should be picked up immediately, stored securely, and disposed of properly when no longer needed.
- Provide Secure Disposal Procedures
In conjunction with the previous point, secure disposal procedures should be in place for physical and media data. Employees should know where locked shred bins are located and which documents should never go in regular trash or recycling. Additionally, there should be a clear chain of procedure when disposing of media, hard drives, and other electronic devices.
- Explain Company Security Protocols
On top of that, employees should be provided with clear and actionable company security protocols. From locking computer screens when they step away from their desks to reporting phishing scams immediately, new hires should be extensively trained and provided with reference materials.
- Train to Spot Common Threats
Speaking of training, holding classes for new employees (as well as seasoned staff) on common security threats is always a good idea. Companies should treat data security as an ongoing, constant threat, because it is. Providing ongoing training, regularly updating security policies, and providing clean reference materials to staff are preventative measures that can go a long way.
- Teach Clean Desk Expectations
Another preventive action companies can take is implementing a Clean Desk Policy. For more information, read HERE
How CI Information Management Can Help
From day one, you can help your employees, new and experienced, build better habits. Contact CI Information Management to support your data security policies with certified shredding and secure destruction services that can be easily incorporated into your company’s routine.
