Ensuring Human Resources Data Privacy and Compliance

Introduce advanced security measures into HR

As a Human Resources (HR) professional, you're deeply involved in managing private aspects of employees' work lives, from compensation and benefits to sensitive issues like substance abuse and workplace conflict. You understand that protecting employee data is crucial for maintaining trust and ensuring employee retention. However, with the shift to digital data storage, safeguarding this information has become increasingly complex.

While digital records make managing HR tasks more efficient, they also increase the risk of data breaches. Data protection is no longer solely an IT concern—HR leaders must play an active role in securing sensitive employee data, especially with regulations like the GDPR.

Key strategies for securing employee data

To protect sensitive employee data effectively, organizations need to go beyond standard security measures like role-based access control and encrypted network connections. As HR departments move to the cloud and employees work remotely, sensitive data often ends up on shared file servers or other less secure platforms. The following best practices can help ensure compliance and reduce the risk of accidental or malicious data exposure.

1. Know where sensitive data is stored

Employee data isn’t confined to the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) or payroll solutions. HR teams frequently export this data to other locations, such as email and shared drives, for communication with employees, other departments, and external service providers. It's critical to identify and secure all storage points for this information.

2. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Attackers often target accounts with access to sensitive data. Using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection by requiring both a password and code. HR executives should ensure that MFA is enabled for all remote and administrator access to systems handling sensitive data.

3. Manage access during employee onboarding and offboarding

HR departments must ensure employees have appropriate access to sensitive data when they start, and that access is promptly removed when they leave or change roles. HR professionals should coordinate with IT to verify that access is granted according to business needs and corporate access policies.

4. Limit IT administrator access to sensitive data

While most IT personnel are trustworthy, IT administrators have full access to all data. This makes them a prime target for outside attackers. Even well-meaning admins may accidentally expose sensitive data. Implementing Zero Trust Security and requiring MFA for IT administrator accounts helps mitigate these risks, but organizations should also enforce strict access controls to ensure administrators only access the data they need.

Qanapi's solution

Qanapi offers advanced tools to help HR departments securely manage sensitive employee data. With Zero Trust Security and Post-Quantum Encryption, Qanapi provides granular control over access to sensitive files. This allows HR professionals to reduce the risk of data breaches, ensure compliance with privacy regulations, and protect employee information across cloud-based and on-premises systems.

By incorporating multi-layered access control and data protection features, Qanapi helps organizations safeguard sensitive employee data while simplifying compliance with evolving security standards.

Take the next step towards securing your employee's data and achieving compliance with Qanapi. Try our solution for free today and get set up in minutes.