Moving HR to the cloud is the current trend for most businesses; 78% of organisations are already using two or more cloud services in their business. However, increasing reports of data breachesin cloud platforms may have you wondering whether your HR data will remain safe in the cloud not.
There are countless advantages of HR cloud technology, such as reduced costs, remote working, self-service capabilities, disaster recovery, consistent updates, etc., but storing sensitive and confidential data in the cloud rather than on premise comes with risks (although, one could argue that keeping on premise data centres somewhere in your office is just as risky!) By moving to the cloud, your data will no longer be held onsite, but on another company’s server located elsewhere.
How safe is safe?
With most cloud storage systems, once you’ve put your data in the cloud, you’ve already given up some basic control over it. When you upload something to the cloud, you’re essentially making a copy of that file and even though you may delete it from your end, you’ll have to trust that your cloud provider will eventually delete it from their end as well.
When it comes to data security for top tier HR cloud systems, it’s a given that your files will be encrypted when travelling back and forth across the network, and also when ‘resting’. The real risk lies in your people, which end up being riskier than any error on the system’s part.
Think about how many users you have. Now think about the benefits associated with cloud technology such as increased/mobile accessibility, real time data sharing, ability to integrate systems, etc. If each user is considered an access point, your security relies on how conscious your users are in keeping that data safe.
Final answer: is HR cloud safe?
For the most part, yes, cloud HR is safe. The greatest risk lies in your people, but there are steps you can take to help mitigate this risk. Encrypting your files, choosing secure passwords, and simply being smart about how you’re using the system can go a long way in your data security efforts.