Companies today are always looking for new and improved ways to increase their organization’s efficiency. Payroll employees often find themselves contending with worn-out systems that aren’t able to complete their tasks in a timely manner.

To combat this issue, businesses will implement new types of software, many of which utilize cloud technology to store information and complete certain practices.

While the cloud has grown increasingly popular and many organizations have seen the benefits of these solutions, other company leaders worry about its safety – especially since the cloud holds such sensitive information. Here are three best practices businesses should know to ensure their cloud systems are as secure as possible:

An access policy will ensure those without the necessity for payroll information can’t reach it.

1. Develop an access policy
Companies’ payroll systems hold a wide variety of valuable employee data – from Social Security numbers to birthdays to account information. Only those workers who manage payroll should be able to look at and manage these materials. Granting access to other employees is a dangerous practice and can lead to negative consequences. To ensure data security problems don’t occur, organizations should implement an access management policy, according to CSO Online. This step will keep login information secure, even when temporary users can reach sensitive materials. Furthermore, all workers – those who have a hand in payroll or not – should be educated on this procedure to make sure they are aware of other company-wide information safety practices.

2. Implement encryption
To protect data even further, businesses need to add encryption to their list of safety measures. This process essentially translates all information into code that is only readable by certain systems. If hackers get ahold of the encrypted materials, they won’t be able to access the sensitive information. While securing materials not routinely used is crucial, so is protecting that data being transmitted across channels, according to Information Week. Encryption, paired with complete visibility into technology solutions and their purposes, can help companies safeguard their valuable information.

3. Create a response plan
While protecting your company and employee information against a data hack is important, so is coming up with a program if – and when – a breach occurs. It’s always smart to be prepared, and having a plan in place will ensure businesses are able to act quickly, without having to think through a response during the stress of an attack.

The following elements should be included in these response breakdowns, according to Computer Weekly:

  • Incident reporting methods
  • The policy
  • Contact information and responsibilities of first responders and incident team makeup
  • Incident assessment determinations, including the necessity of forensic evidence for the case
  • Countermeasures, including media reports and public relations duties and involving law enforcement
  • Corrective actions and appropriate monitoring

While there are many other steps companies and their payroll teams can take to ensure the sensitive information kept in the cloud is protected, these actions are a strong starting point.

The upcoming Thomson Reuters Synergy conference – which will be held Nov. 2 through November 5 in Grapevine, Texas – will feature a session detailing cloud security issues that impact companies. Because our time and attendance solutions are integrated with Thomson Reuters Accounting CS Payroll, Timerack will attend the event, offering executives insight and experience in fields, including staffing, compliance with important regulations and much more.