Ransomware attacks have caused supply chain disruptions, compromised medical care, and even canceled flights. The issue simply isn’t going away. Most of us have added two-step verification to everything from our NestCams to our grocery chain apps and taken increased steps in our own personal security. This is a good start, but businesses that have access to workers’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) have extra responsibility. A mistake that compromises your own personal data is certainly an inconvenience, but if you fail when you’re handling other people’s data, it can be a crisis.
If you handle other people’s info, you simply must have solid measures in place so those trusting you with their data know they are in good hands. Ideally, they will never have to think about it. If they do, it likely means you’ve already messed up and you might even be in the headlines.
Security is Everything
Can you think of many business functions in the world that access more priceless personal information and sensitive company information than hiring? The best systems, software, and teams mean little if they are vulnerable to security attacks. You’ll never make headlines for all your measures preventing an attack, but you’ll certainly make headlines the moment your efforts fail.
When you’re working on a big project and hiring enough workers to get the job done, the last thing you want to be burdened with is integrating all the systems to make sure you get it done securely. Building the infrastructure to hire and deploy a contingent workforce takes time and serious expertise!
How Do You Prevent a Security Breach And Stay Out of The News?
The most secure organizations partner with and employ several internal and third-party resources to protect PPI as fiercely as possible.
At a minimum, we recommend you:
• Encrypt everything at multiple levels
• Treat all sensitive information as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and in accordance with HIPAA recommendations
• Keep sensitive data from going offshore
• Have third parties perform monthly security checks and an annual penetration test
What CEO Todd Keener Has to Say About Security
Among other things, Todd talks about how security and privacy needs to baked into company processes, culture, and procedures. While security has always been important, the issue has accelerated greatly in the last five years. Staying in front of the changes requires the company to have the issue front and center and ongoing processes to test their own systems. Third-party systems should be in place to continually adjust and have continual formal improvement baked into everything you do.
Bottom Line
One of the biggest benefits of working with an Employer of Record (EOR) like PayReel is that we’ve already built the infrastructure to follow all of the above recommendations. We protect clients’ resources, contracts, and data at all times with multi-leveled security systems.
Hey, you can let your PR company keep you in the news for good reasons. At PayReel, we specialize in keeping you out of the headlines you don’t want to be saddled with. Bottom line: You better check yourself before you wreck yourself and also have partners in place to help you.
