Four ways of beefing up your mobile HRMS security this year

Mobile HRMS offers many benefits to employees and managers providing anytime access to data. Sensitive HR data can be a target to hackers and identity thieves. Are you guarding your employee data to the highest level? Here are four ways to beef up your mobile HRMS security to lower risk and protect employee data.

1. Use biometrics or two step verification

Biometrics use face or voice recognition to ensure that a user on a device truly is that user. An alternative is to use a two step verification process, such as requiring a user to input a code from an alternative device. Enabling either of these methods for your mobile HRMS will make it more difficult for intruders to enter into your HRMS.

2. Enable alerts for high risk transactions

HRMS data is a target for identity thieves in particular where it involves financial data or sensitive personal data. If an employee or manager is performing one of these self-service mobile-enabled transactions it should be configured to submit a message via another channel such as an email notification. Example transactions may include an employee’s change of the bank account that receives the salary direct deposit or the addition of a new dependent that includes social security number.

Use our buyer’s guide to help you find software with suitable mobile HRMS security features

3. Utilize encryption and masking options

There are a number of VPN solutions that can encrypt data. Many companies have enterprise licenses for these applications. Beef up your mobile HRMS security by requiring their use, in particular for employees who are on the road on their mobile devices. Managers would never leave paperwork listing employee names and salaries visible when they are at an airport or coffee shop but they sometimes do not realize that unencrypted mobile data is the electronic equivalent.

4. Limit offline capabilities

Mobile HRMS often taps into core HRMS functionality that allows an employee to download data while online to be stored for later use, such as while on a flight. There are advantages providing offline data but it can be risky if a device is lost or stolen. If someone is able to gain access to the device it is an open door to all of the offline data. We recommend to review your HRMS configuration and to perform a risk analysis. What is the benefit or loss if an employee or manager cannot download data for offline consumption versus the risk if the device and data gets into the wrong hands?