Improving Information Security in Your HR Department

February 23 2020 - When you consider the information security of a business, you immediately think of the IT department. With cyber-attacks and data breaches happening more than ever, your information security systems must be up to date. Out of all the sectors of your business, the HR department houses some of the most sensitive data.

Here’s how you can work with your HR department to improve your IT security.

Get an IT security audit

The best way you can improve information security in your HR department is getting an IT security audit. Smart.uk.com offers free IT audits where they will look at your current infrastructure and identify how it can be improved. They are experts in cybersecurity and can spot any holes in your security system and help you put a plan in place to reduce risks.

Assess all your data

What data are you collecting?

After your IT security audit, you’ll need to assess all the data that your HR department is collecting. Understanding the data you’re working with and what information is at risk will help you put the proper security measures into place. Data your HR department collects from your employees will include:

• National Insurance numbers, including anyone who has gone through an interview process.
• Contact details, such as phone number, home address, email, etc.
• Bank account information
• Criminal record checks
• Medical records
• Insurance documents

You will need to think about how long the HR team is keeping this information on file. Is it only while you employ them, or years after? Of course, there are legal reasons that require you to hold onto some of this information. Identify if there is any sensitive data that you are storing unnecessarily and consider removing it. Having that information sat there will do you no favours in the long run, especially if you have a security breach.

How are you storing data?

Once you understand all the data that your HR department is collecting, you should look at how they are storing it. Most businesses are switching to an entirely paperless system. While it is much more efficient, it also puts the information at risk.

Where is all the data being stored? Typically, businesses will store it in the cloud, so it is easy to access when needed. Online storage systems, such as DropBox, are commonly used for backing up information off the cloud. While it’s imperative to have data backed up, it also means the information is in two places, thus doubling the risk. Some businesses also use external hard drives or flash drives to back up data, though it increases the chance it could be lost.

The most important thing to consider, regardless of how your storing data, is how secure it is. Is everything adequately password-protected? Who has access to this information?

Make sure that all your HR receives comprehensive training on information security. While they don’t need to be IT experts, they will need to understand the sensitivity of the information they have access to. Knowing how to spot a virus, fake email addresses, and data breaches will help prevent them.

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