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5 Ways to Improve Payroll Information Security

June 19, 2020
Cyber Security — Phoenix, AZ — Phoenix Access Control

Employers have many responsibilities when handling their employees' data and personal information. Because you are trusted with highly sensitive information — including Social Security numbers, home addresses, information about family members, and health information — you must be able to protect that data from loss, theft, and intruders.


How can your company do better protecting this vital data? Discover a few key ways.


1. Secure the Payroll Department


How is the physical security of your payroll department? Is this department kept behind locked doors? Are unauthorized persons easily spotted and asked why they are there? Can any employee simply walk into the payroll area without anyone needing to authorize it? 


If you haven't assessed the physical security of all locations where payroll is, now is the time to do so. As a company grows, this is increasingly important due to the larger amounts of personal information and having more and more people on the site.


2. Secure Storage Areas


Most payroll departments wind up with many files and documents that must be stored for long periods of time. If these are stored outside the payroll processing office, how is the security in this location? Is it protected with an up-to-date access control system and both external and internal locks? 


Remember that personally identifiable information (like garnishment or bank data) doesn't necessarily become less sensitive just because some time has passed. In fact, because it's often forgotten, this data could be an even easier target for thieves if not well-protected.


3. Know Who Has Access


Simply locking up information isn't enough if you don't know who has the keys. Only the most necessary individuals should ever have access to the payroll processing area and any related storage facilities. Do you know who has access right now? What about prior employees or those who may have moved on to another department? Any extra keys or codes that may still have access are potential risk factors. 


One of the best ways to secure physical payroll is to use access control systems. These modern security systems allow you to program locks to allow entry only in deliberate ways. You might limit access to particular persons, members of certain departments, shift workers only during their shift, or employees only during business hours. And you can change codes or block them as often as you want. 


4. Increase Cybersecurity


With most payroll departments operating electronically, protecting valuable data must also include excellent cybersecurity. Work with the IT department or service to assess your current security procedures and data protection.


Train employees on best practices regarding password protection and protecting their workstations when not in use. And don't forget to analyze the physical security of computer servers. 


5. Separate Access


Even among those who work on payroll, not everyone needs the same level of access. For example, a payroll technician who enters data may not need access to employee files. In this case, you might do well to store employee files within the locked confines of Human Resources and keep the time and pay information in the locked payroll department. 


Though it may take some time and effort, try to determine exactly what access each job position or department actually needs. Even if they do sometimes access a particular piece of data — such as an employee's Social Security number — can this be granted by a different employee as a one-time access? While separating access can be inconvenient, it mitigates risk.


You clearly have many different ways to protect your payroll data. Which methods are right for your company? Phoenix Access Control can help you find out. With an array of security and access control products and services, we can increase your security, no matter what your size or budget. Call today to make an appointment.

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