Identify theft is a threat to society that is becoming more and more of a problem every year. New avenues of technology bring about great progress and advances in many areas, but each new technique, product, design component, and platform brings a new way for sophisticated hacking to take place.
This means that businesses, more than ever, have the heavy responsibility to ensure that the data they collect to keep their business running is stored well in secure databases with secure methods of protection. No part of this job of information security is simple or easy, and it takes quite the task force to ward off potential threats and to identify active attacks.
For many years now, this job of protection has been left up to the IT world. This seems to make sense to most. The risk is a technological problem that is handled almost exclusively via computers and internet servers. That is all within the realm of IT, right? Some would disagree. The argument that most of IT work centers around the computer is true, but isn’t that now the case for most positions in the business arena?
According to the experts at Tech Target, one way to enhance the security measures at a company is to get the HR department more involved. When it comes down to it, a lot of the security risks of the recent big public hacks have come as a result of employees who were complacent with following the security protocol measures put in place. This kind of training and compliance really falls under the umbrella of HR rather than the IT department.
Ciaran John with Demand Media recently stated the following on Small Business Chron:
“Human Resources professionals are responsible for ensuring that employees comply with security policies that are designed to protect your firm, your clients, and your workforce. Aside from making employees aware of company policies and procedures, HR representatives must work with management to investigate and address any instances involving violations of these rules.”
When put into terms of training and administering the consequences of failure to comply with set standards, it makes a lot more sense to get the HR department far more involved than they have been. The rest of this article will outline some of the ways that this shift in internet security can be implemented in effective ways.
Invest in Document Management Software
Many HR departments in the country are switching their data and file storage methods over to Document Management Software (DMS) program platforms. This is a great way to make an office more efficient and paperless. As HR departments are the ones swimming in the most paper files and filing cabinets, it makes sense that a program that enables paperless business practices would help this department.
While the increased ease of storage for documents is a great selling point of these programs, it is also incredibly important to note that these programs come with some excellent security features including, but not limited to, the following:
- Encryption technology
- Demand for sophisticated passwords
- Automatic reminders for password changing
- Automatic deletion of antiquated files
- Firewall for data storage
All of these things are perfect ways to help the HR department crack down on the human error that is often involved in internal information breaches.
Create Better Communication between HR and IT
If the HR and IT departments are to have a closer bond than ever before, then it is important to provide a good line of communication. DMS technology can actually provide the perfect platform for networking, communication, and collaboration between these two departments.
If a big change has to happen in the company organization in order for this shift to take place, then some time needs to be set aside for the two departments to get their goals and duties aligned in an organized and well-understood manner.
Hold Intensive Trainings and Set Rigorous Safety Protocols
Once the IT department is able to make clear the dangers of human error and safety protocol complacency, the HR department can create a list of standards and safety protocols that will be demanded from all employees.
As these regulations are set in place, it will be the responsibility of the Human Resources Management to educate the rest of the company on the new processes, or to reiterate the old regulations that were not put into practice as they should have been.
A DMS program will make this kind of training a lot easier. After the initial intensive training takes place, this communication platform will be a good way to send out reminders about what the rules are and when certain steps need to be taken like changing passwords, deleting cookies, or disabling autofill programs.
Track Compliance with Set Protocols and Administer Discipline
With so much of the business running off of technology, it really is not fair to place these responsibilities on the shoulders of the IT department. Tracking the compliance of regulations set in place has always been an HR responsibility, and that should not change just because the regulations happen to be technological in nature.
A DMS program can easily be set to track compliance with these things. Notifications can be sent to employees via the program as reminders. Notifications can also be sent to the HR department heads when compliance slips, and disciplinary actions can be taken. Utilizing DMS programming means all of this can be done with very little involvement by the IT department.