Local and county governments are entrusted with many types of personally identifiable information (PII), personal health information (PHI) and other sensitive data such as births, deaths, social security/social insurance numbers, property tax, deeds and medical records. 

As keepers of such valuable information local governments need to ensure that security measures are in place to protect constituents' data from cyber attack. Here's how HR departments in local government can play an active role in reducing cyber security risks.

Identity management once meant simply knowing who the users accessing your enterprise systems were and what access their security role in the organization required. But identity management has gotten much more complex as organizations use a host of different applications both on premise and in the cloud.

Where we work and the way we work have undergone drastic changes in the last few years. We no longer have to be in office to access organizational information or be dependent on physical office devices thanks to the cloud and easy access through our phones.

In the past few years HR has increasingly become a strategic partner in organizations with proven contributions to the ROI of the organization. With more technological innovations, increased global competition, and the ever-changing business landscape, the challenges that face an organization continue to evolve. The noted investor Warren Buffet has warned that cyber security is the number one threat, not just to organizations, but to humanity in general [1].

Cloud-based payroll software is safer and more secure than ever. Cloud based technology users can do their part to ensure that their data is as secure as possible. Implementing and following a few basic company-wide “security best practices” for all employee users can protect your sensitive financial data even further.