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Mitigating Data Security Threats Starts With The HR Team

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There is no greater concern for companies today than data security, privacy, and compliance which has always been, and will remain to be, a critical factor for HR, but it is increasingly challenging to get it right given the changing pace of business. With the majority of the employees still working from home, many are now reliant on their own WiFi networks and potentially non-hardened personal devices to carry out their day-to-day workload.

It has been reported in an article by The Straits Times that about six in 10 organizations here said they experienced at least a 25 percent increase in cyber data security threats since the pandemic started.

As opposed to the office environment, where IT managers can trace and assess the security of all networks, home network connectivity could have weaker protocols limiting the efficacy of anti-virus/malware software. Non-hardened laptops or other endpoint devices can also pose a significant risk to enterprise network security; it has been reported that there has been a sharp increase in cyber-attacks globally.

 

How can the HR team help prevent data security attacks?

How does this all concern the HR team? While it is commonly misunderstood that data can only be leaked through online cyber-attacks, there are many other ways for data leakage most of which center around the employees:

  • Employee carelessness
  • Use of unlicensed software
  • System Failures
  • Misues of resources, such as internet, email, and mobile/ laptop devices
  • Physical Risks

Since working from home is mostly mandatory, here are some recommendations that HR teams can bring up to their management to help reduce the vulnerability of their business infrastructure.

  • A secured infrastructure starts with people – Cyber data security training should be a central component of any onboarding process. A good training program will help your employees determine what information they should not share online, and it will help every employee improve their overall cyber hygiene.
  • Put the right policies and procedures in place – Access rights should be outlined in a user access control policy. HR teams must also be responsible for stressing the disciplinary repercussions for employees who do not comply with security guidelines.
  • Engage with a trustworthy system provider – It is important to ensure that your chosen solution partner has all the software, equipment, and experienced professionals on hand to manage security issues. Ensure a company with proper security compliance, such as ISO 27001 certification. They should understand the benefits and importance of being equipped with the necessary expertise to ensure that their system has measures such as application and infrastructure vulnerability assessments regularly to guarantee data security.

Related article: The Key Role Played by HR in Safeguarding an Organization’s Cybersecurity

Having a secure and reliable HRMS solution partner is the first step to creating a secure data environment for workforce management. IQ Dynamics has been awarded the ISO 27001 Certification from GIC Group which represents our commitment to protection and proper handling of your business data. If you would like to engage with an HRMS vendor that takes your business’ security seriously, come speak with us today about your requirements.

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