It’s no secret that cyberattacks have been on the rise over the last few years. It comes as no surprise, then, that more business leaders are thinking about cybersecurity and how to protect their businesses, as well as their customers.

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HR data is often some of the most sensitive information within a business. It includes information about all of your employees, from where they live to their benefits usage and banking details. In some cases, you may keep information about their marital and family status on hand.

That’s one reason you might be concerned about outsourcing your HR functions. It’s hard enough keeping tabs on cybersecurity within your own business, let alone within someone else’s. Can you really trust them to handle your employees’ information and keep it safe with them?

You can successfully outsource HR and hold data security to a high level. Here’s what you need to know about data security and outsourcing HR.

Government Legislation Sets Minimums

There is likely some government legislation overseeing data security minimums for both you and your HR provider. What those rules are might depend on where you each operate. Rules in California, for example, are quite different from those elsewhere in the US. The European Union also has its own governance through GDPR and each Canadian province may have a combination of federal and provincial rules about protecting data.

You’ll want to ask your HR provider if they can comply with the minimum data protections set out by the jurisdictions you will be operating in. If you’re expanding into a new territory, you’ll want to seek out an HR provider who has experience in that jurisdiction as well. For international businesses, it’s a smart move to team up with a third-party provider who has experience in several different jurisdictions. They’ll be able to help you comply with local laws when it comes to data security.

Go a Step Beyond

It’s important to remember that data security regulations set out in government legislation often represent the bare minimum. If you meet those requirements, you’ll be compliant. Your data, however, could still be at risk.

Ask any HR provider about the steps they take to go above and beyond mere compliance. An example might be a provider who offers cybersecurity insurance or one that complies with EU standards, even for operations in Canada and the US. In short, they can show you how they do more than meet the minimums.

Since they set their standards so high, you know you’ll be meeting and exceeding compliance. You also know you’ll have better protection, which can give you and your employees peace of mind.

An Evolving System

Another aspect of any HR provider’s data security should be constant evolution. Cyberattacks are often evolving, which means threats are changing. Your HR provider should be on their toes, monitoring the environment, and making regular upgrades to policies and technologies.

This helps them stay on top of compliance, but it also offers you and your employees better protection. No security is so ironclad that it won’t someday be vulnerable, so regular updates to security systems and processes can help you stay one step ahead.

Ask about Training

Another key to security is training, which extends to your team members. Ask your HR provider if they can offer your team any training that will help them assist the HR team. This might include training about current types of cyberthreats, how to spot phishing and other social engineering attempts, or even how to transfer or destroy records properly.

Getting Better Security with an HR Provider

In some cases, your data may actually be safer with an HR provider. They have many clients they must protect, so they should be investing in their security. You, as a smaller business, may not have the same kind of budget to put toward security.

By teaming up with an HR provider, you could take your data security to new levels.