Posted by Employees are the first line of defense and answer for a company against security breach, which have become more common in recent years. HR, in particular, can play a big part in keeping sensitive information safe and limiting the company’s liability.
Employers can end up paying millions of dollars in damages if an employee sells customer information on purpose, accidentally leaves a laptop on a train, or carelessly leaves boxes of medical records open in a high-traffic area of a hospital.
So, what can HR do to reduce these costs? Data security is mostly the responsibility of the IT department. However, HR workers can help ensure effective programs are in place.
Here are 6 ways HR can specifically help to prevent security breach in the company:
1. Knowing who has been employed.
Protecting personally identifiable information (PII) starts with properly screening job candidates who will have access to sensitive information, like those being considered for HR, payroll, and finance roles, to name a few.
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2. Keeping track of devices.
When bringing a new employee on board, managers should fill out a checklist to keep track of all the tools each person gets. Then, when it’s time to leave, the checklist should be used to ensure that all equipment is returned and that workers don’t leave with private information.
3. Training staff to detect problems.
Workers may not recognize an issue, such as a cybercriminal sending a company-looking email. This is called phishing. An employee can quickly reply and provide personal details for payroll and other information. Therefore, employees should be taught how to spot scams and what to look for in a real company email. They should recognize a standard signature line, a sender picture, and a company email address.
4. Getting employees to speak up.
Workers with access to the personally identifiable information (PII) must feel safe enough to step up and tell the right people when a security breach or attempted breach happens. This is important because it will help solve the problem, and companies must send out certain notices when information is lost or stolen.
5. Putting together BYOD rules with care.
“Bring your own device” (BYOD) policies could turn into “bring your own breach” policies in real life. The more portable a device, the easier it is for someone to steal it and private data. Suppose an employer wants a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. They should lay out what will happen if the gadget is lost or stolen and the employee quits the organization. Additionally, they should have a way to remotely erase all the info on the device.
6. Developing a compliance-based culture.
Representatives from different business roles should work together to ensure that the organization’s practices include data security measures. Also, compliance and working together must start at the top. HR can help convince upper management of how important it is for everyone in the company to follow security rules.
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Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives.
Reach me at anisa@jobstore.com.