HRIS Implementation and Cybersecurity

Oscar WaterworthSenior Editor
Oscar is a writer and a senior editor over at Bizzmarkblog.com. He enjoys reading and writing about marketing, technology, and business.
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Read about achieving the basic levels of HRIS security in the workplace.
Use of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) is becoming more frequent by the day. Nowadays, cloud-based solutions enable users to access the systems from any communication device. This brings forth the issue of cyber security.

Users can now log into HRIS from unidentified IPs, which opens the identity theft doors for hackers and vengeful employees. The latter is extremely important. Business owners must pay attention to what is happening in-house too since those kinds of threats often go unnoticed.

HRIS are most vulnerable to breaches and other threats during the process of their implementation. This is why it is wise to hire a cyber security professional to assist in the early phase of utilization, as well as in later phases when the system is in full use. 


Vendor Security Measures


Before choosing a suitable HRIS, a company needs to know about the kinds of vendor security measures that need to be taken beforehand. Vendor security is a known issue and therefore, most companies will take all of the necessary steps in achieving it. The problem, however, is that not all vendors offer the same quality level of the security measures. Again, if a team does not have a security expert, it is advisable to hire a professional to assist in selecting a proper HRIS and to give the final green light. 


Controlled Information Access


Sharing sensitive information with employees should always be done with extreme caution. They should only be given access to their own personal information and that should be set during the configuration stage of the HRIS implementation.

Furthermore, all of the employees should require authorization when making changes to the system to ensure privacy. Only the most important information should be available. Managers should set limits to information access according to each employee’s actual job description.

Every company needs to have strict internal security protocols. Those that do not often get in trouble. For example, a manager should never give out certain passwords to employees. This often happens as a sign of trust and it goes against the security protocols which exist for a reason. Also, this is a sign of an uneducated employee or a manager. They should undergo proper implementation training in order to understand the reasons behind such strict protocols. 


Password Changes


To avoid being easy hacker targets, employees need to start thinking about the complexity of their passwords. Hackers can easily guess the passwords of each and every employee by following just one employee’s password pattern. To avoid this vulnerability issue, a secure HR software will require a password change at least once in every two months. This may be seen as an unnecessary hassle but, in reality, dictionary and DDOS attacks are much too frequent for this measure to be taken lightly. 


Disaster Recovery


By going by the book and following all of the security protocols, companies will greatly enhance the level of the security. Still, threats can occur nonetheless. This is why it is extremely important to have a disaster recovery plan in place. You want to be able to securely recover your files as quickly and efficiently as possible. In the case of a data breach, employees should react fast. Clear procedures should be in place so that the employees responsible for dealing with such problems could respond in a timely manner.


Controlled Information Access


Sharing sensitive information with employees should always be done with extreme caution. They should only be given access to their own personal information and that should be set during the configuration stage of the HRIS implementation.

Furthermore, all of the employees should require authorization when making changes to the system to ensure privacy. Only the most important information should be available. Managers should set limits to information access according to each employee’s actual job description.

Every company needs to have strict internal security protocols. Those that do not often get in trouble. For example, a manager should never give out certain passwords to employees. This often happens as a sign of trust and it goes against the security protocols which exist for a reason. Also, this is a sign of an uneducated employee or a manager. They should undergo proper implementation training in order to understand the reasons behind such strict protocols.


Always be a Step Ahead


All of the aforementioned is important, but if you are a business owner, you should definitely go much deeper into research of the matter of HRIS security and privacy. Cyber security has lately become a buzzword for a reason. It is much more likely to be hacked today that it was years ago, so I would strongly advise every employer to take care of it in time, especially because the cost of a breach can be much higher than implementing proper security measures in the first place.
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Oscar WaterworthSenior Editor
Oscar is a writer and a senior editor over at Bizzmarkblog.com. He enjoys reading and writing about marketing, technology, and business.

Comments (1)

Oscar WaterworthSenior Editor

Author

Commented:
It was a mistake, thanks for having such a keen eye.

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