World Data Privacy Day: A time to review your information's security

January 28 2022 is World Data Privacy Day! Did you know that the origins of data privacy date back to 1981, when the first International Treaty (Convention 108) for the protection of individuals’ personal data was signed?

As a technology company that puts its people and clients first, we know how important online data protection and privacy is. Particularly in today’s day and age where online transactions are rampant, it’s crucial to take steps to protect your sensitive data.

Why is protecting data privacy important?

The simplest answer is that your personal information is incredibly valuable! Most data breaches are minor and involve things like receiving spam emails and unwarranted text messages. However, more serious breaches may lead to hackers gaining access to bank account information, your location, passport information and other personal data.

It’s important that you retain control of your own data online. You should be aware of how, where and why your information is being used - because it’s your information. Though there is no consensus on whether this responsibility falls on individuals, businesses or governments, we’re passionate advocates for taking control over both our clients’ data and our own!

How can you protect your data online?

When it comes to protecting your own accounts and passwords, there are a few simple things that you can do:

1. Use a password manager to generate complex passwords that are difficult to hack. If you aren’t able to use a password manager, ensure you’re using a strong password - use plenty of numbers, special characters and non-traditional phrases (don’t use your name or other phrases that might be easy to guess). Just don’t forget the password in the process of making it difficult to guess!
2. ‍Never share your passwords, even if you think that you can trust that person. You should also use different passwords for each application - this is where a password manager will come in handy for remembering multiple passwords.  
3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of your accounts, to provide an additional layer of security. This will reduce the risk of your account being accessed by someone else, as you’ll only be able to log in with a unique code sent to the nominated phone or email address associated with your account.
4. Download trusted antivirus software to protect your location, personal/financial information and computer from being intercepted by hackers.
5. Frequently review software and apps on your phone and computer. Consider regularly reviewing their permissions (such as location sharing), and don’t download any apps that look suspicious or aren’t from a trusted developer. If you see an unfamiliar app or software on your devices, delete it immediately - better to be safe than sorry when it comes to data privacy!
   

KeyPay and data privacy

With the recent rise of cyber attacks, we understand that concerns over data privacy and security are present. As an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified software, KeyPay always takes measures to protect employee and payroll information. 

We transfer data using 256-bit SSL encryption (which takes around one trillion years to break!), and all sensitive information is encrypted on disk. We only ever transfer data via HTTPS for maximum security, with full backups being carried out daily (and transaction logs every 15 minutes). You can read KeyPay’s full privacy policy here on how information is protected.

Learn more about KeyPay here and how you can benefit from a secure, protected platform for payroll and employee management.