Hiding the crown jewels: 4 ways to keep your recruitment agency safe
Do you remember the days you could hide all your valuables under the mattress, or that one loose floorboard, and rest safe in the knowledge that your possessions were secure? No, we don’t either. But we have it on good authority from our grandmother’s grandmother that it used to be like that. However, as value has moved from possessions to data, hiding things under the bed is no longer feasible.
Currently, the UK has witnessed a phenomenal rise in cyber-attacks and security breaches that have cost firms an estimated £34.1 billion. This doesn’t just apply to big organisations, dating sites or banks, but more so the smaller companies that have less time and money to invest in the safety of their information. Recruitment agencies are particularly susceptible to breaches due to the sheer volume of personal data they sit on. Hackers want this information to sell on to other companies, it’s that simple and it can happen very simply.
The terrifying thing is that for SMEs, a data breach can mean the beginning of the end of their organisation as they spiral down into unmanageable fees and costs that eventually put them out of business. It doesn’t have to be so dire if you take the right steps, so we’ve put four of the top things you should be doing to keep you safe:
- Start on the inside: Misinformed or poorly educated employees can lead to some of the biggest breaches. Buying expensive software to protect your sever is one thing, then letting someone in IT slap on a generic password can mean all your efforts go to waste. Create internal policies, processes and training to keep your people aware of their own responsibility and how they can help prevent attacks.
- Plan for war: Modern battle strategies are basically incident response plans, and it’s imperative that your business has one. Like any other emergency plan, it needs to be planned and practiced on a regular basis so that in the event of any security breaches, everyone within your organisation knows exactly what role to play.
- Get virtual: Do not rely on your information sitting on a single desktop in some office somewhere. Stagnant data is always a risk. Put your information in cloud-based services like a virtual office. For example, we here at Access Recruitment CRM offer a virtual office for our users. It means that we constantly back up your information and provide anti-virus and firewall applications. Your information is effectively hosted offsite and is constantly safe and secure.
- Top down: There’s a misconception that the board don’t need to bother with things like IT and the responsibility falls solely with the CIO or your business. This is one of the gravest mistakes you could make as the board will set the tone for the rest of your employees. It absolutely needs to be an issue addressed by all your board members, and made a priority and top agenda point at every meeting. If you communicate down to your organisation that this is a boardroom initiative, your people will take their responsibility seriously and follow suit.
As recruitment agencies you have an enormous responsibility to your candidates and clients. You’re in the business of people, and therefore cannot afford to be lackadaisical with people’s lives, or in fact, your own agency. Get secure now while you can and remember that your recruitment software can, and should, be helping you stay safe.
