Digital Offboarding Checklist: Secure Your Company When Employees Leave
In today’s digital world, every employee leaves behind a digital trail from the moment they join your company. They receive an email address, login credentials for various tools, and often link their profiles to your organization on platforms like LinkedIn.
When someone leaves the company, it’s crucial to properly disconnect them from all digital assets. This process — known as digital offboarding — is a key part of maintaining cybersecurity and protecting sensitive business data.
Imagine a former employee sending emails to your clients or confidential files remaining on their personal device. These scenarios can lead to major security risks. In fact, 20% of businesses have faced a data breach involving a former employee.
To prevent such issues, digital offboarding should go far beyond removing someone’s access. It involves securing systems, recovering devices, and ensuring that no company information remains in the wrong hands.
Here’s a practical checklist to help you streamline and strengthen your digital offboarding process:
✅ 1. Capture Important Knowledge Before They Leave
Employees often carry valuable knowledge about workflows, tools, or company practices. Make sure this doesn’t walk out the door with them.
- Conduct a knowledge transfer session before their last day.
- Document processes and login details for apps they used.
- Encourage employees to keep internal notes as part of regular work habits.
✅ 2. Remove Social Media Links & Admin Access
Check for any social media ties between the employee and your company.
- Reassign admin roles on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other company accounts.
- Monitor if they’ve posted on behalf of your brand and ensure continuity.
✅ 3. Identify All Work-Related Apps & Accounts
Employees may use both official and unauthorized apps to get their job done.
- Create a full list of tools they accessed (with help from HR or IT).
- Either update account details or close unnecessary accounts after backing up company data.
✅ 4. Change Email & App Passwords Immediately
Don’t wait to block access.
- Reset the employee’s company email password right away.
- Change passwords for all cloud services they accessed — even if they used personal devices.
Using a single sign-on (SSO) system can make this process faster and more efficient.
✅ 5. Retrieve Company-Owned Devices
Remote work means many employees have laptops, phones, or tablets at home.
- Collect all equipment promptly upon their exit.
- Keep a record of what was returned and check for any missing items.
✅ 6. Secure Data Stored on Personal Devices
If your company allows a “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policy, offboarding becomes more complex.
- Ensure all company files are backed up and removed from their personal phone or laptop.
- Consider using mobile device management (MDM) tools to remotely wipe corporate data without affecting personal content.
✅ 7. Transfer Ownership and Delete Old Accounts
Unused accounts are easy targets for hackers.
- Assign ownership of files and projects to another team member.
- Permanently delete or archive old user accounts to reduce risk.
✅ 8. Revoke Device Access to Corporate Systems
Use endpoint management tools to:
- Remove the employee’s devices from trusted device lists.
- Block future logins and access to company networks.
✅ 9. Update Building Access Codes
Many companies overlook physical security during offboarding.
- Change digital passcodes or access cards to secure facilities.
- Ensure ex-employees can no longer enter restricted areas.
A well-managed digital offboarding strategy protects your company from avoidable risks. If you’re looking to improve your procedures or implement automation, we’re here to help.
👉 Contact us today for a free consultation and take the first step toward a safer, more organized digital workplace.