Nothing can be scarier for a company than having their online payroll security breached and their information stolen. For example, consider businesses like Blue Cross, Chick-fil-a, Sony, U.S. Postal Office, Staple, Dairy Queen, Home Depot, and JP Morgan. What do all of these companies have in common? They are all businesses that have been hacked. Everything from their names to addresses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, telephone numbers, and even employee birthdates. With most businesses using online payroll nowadays, cyber crimes are not a new concept but should be taken very seriously. It’s imperative that you take extreme caution to secure you and your employee’s personal information. Not doing so could result in bankruptcy, lawsuits, and a huge mess that no one wants to deal with. Learn how to protect your business and online payroll with these steps.
The first thing that should go into learning how to secure data for your company and online payroll information is investing in a reliable security system. Antivirus programs like McAfee or Norton security have proven to protect many individuals and companies alike. You should pick a software that is easy to update and use for new and old employees. Along with this type of security, you should also look into purchasing a surveillance system and business-class router to further guard your business. And despite your router coming with its own firewall, it’s highly recommended for businesses to build their own firewall that suits their needs best.
This is something that ties in with your security system and actions. When you hear about organizations being compromised, you may find yourself thinking “that would never happen to me!” Unfortunately, whether your company is big or small, cyber criminals are always on the lookout for an easy hack. You have to make a conscious effort to have secure, up to date software and to only use protected browsers when it comes to work-related Internet use. This goes for online payroll too, because there are numerous hoax payroll companies that are looking to steal your information.
Another factor that could risk your company for cyber attacks is working off of free Wi-Fi. Even if you’re trying to save some cash while starting up a new business, working off of free, public Wi-Fi is not secure enough to hide your assets from other users in the area.
It’s disappointing to say that most people don’t know how to set safe passwords for their accounts. No really, the top two most common passwords for 2015 were “password” and “123456”. Hopefully, you have a password that’s much more complex for your business accounts, but the main issue is that you should never use the same password for every account. It’s normal for people to use varying numbers and symbols with the same “base” for a password. Check out these tips on how to create a strong password to lessen the likelihood of your accounts getting hacked.
Aside from choosing a safe set of passwords, another step you should take to protect your accounts is to authenticate all of your accounts. Add a trusted backup email, phone number, PIN code, or personal security questions that will double verify that you are the only one logging on. If you are the type of person who has to write down your passwords to remember in the future, remember not to put them all on the same platform like Cloud.
Whether your employees and coworkers have been with you since the beginning or have just recently joined your company, make your security policies very clear. Clearly, let employees know if you are uncomfortable with them taking company laptops home or logging on to company accounts at a different location with unprotected Wi-Fi. You may also be nervous about giving out your full list of company passwords. A simple solution to train your employees to avoid this is to only give them access to certain accounts that are related to their position so that no other accounts are compromised. Also, ensure that all coworkers are aware of opening suspicious emails or attachments that may contain viruses.
At the end of the day, the worst case scenario that your business may experience is getting hacked. Obviously, this can be a highly stressful situation if you are unable to get the account back from the hacker and you lose all of your assets tied to that account. This is when having a regular system of backing up important files beforehand comes in handy. Invest in a backup drive that you can keep locked away until you have an emergency.
If all of these steps seem too overwhelming for you right now, consider simplifying it by making a list of your most valued assets. Focus on finding solid protection for these assets and slowly work on adding more security at your company and assets grow.
To maintain a thriving business, protecting your company’s assets is of the utmost importance. Find an online payroll company that you can trust to guard your personal data at all times. PayTech is proud to provide secure payroll services to companies that need assistance in payroll management. Having this assistance can help put your mind at ease, knowing your assets are safe with PayTech. This way you can continue to focus on growing your business in other areas while we take care of and organize the data behind it.
