We’ve all heard the stories – some major company gets hacked and all of a sudden everyone’s personal details are out in the open. If you’re running a business, it’s got to be nerve-wracking thinking about all the sensitive info you’ve got stored on your systems. But information security can also feel pretty overwhelming when you’re trying to figure it all out. So where do you even start?
Luckily there are companies out there showing how it’s done right. HiBob is an HR platform that manages employee data for thousands of businesses (that’s a lot of private data they’re responsible for). As such, HiBob has demonstrated they certainly have their act together when it comes to keeping data locked down tight.
HiBob’s Cybersecurity Best Practices
In this article, we will go through HiBob’s cybersecurity best practices to give you some ideas when evaluating your own security. After all, whether you’ve got a few employees or thousands, protecting sensitive information is critical these days – especially with data breaches always in the news.
Setting the Bar with Robust Cybersecurity Standards
HiBob has made security a huge priority both for its technology stack and company culture. To start, they have achieved major security certifications like ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and SOC 2 Type 2. HiBob also makes sure to comply with important privacy laws like GDPR.
Security audits are a significant aspect of regular security checks too. This enables HiBob to keep its compliance certificates up to date, thus ensuring they always meet the latest requirements in the industry. Additionally, HiBob put together an in-house security team. That includes a Chief Information Security Officer and a dedicated Data Privacy Officer.
These employees work right alongside the product and development teams, providing guidance on how to minimize every HiBoB vulnerability by baking security into everything the company builds. Robust policies, training, and procedures are also in place, allowing HiBob to continuously strengthen security protections across the board.
When it comes to integrating third-party solutions, the security team fully vets each partner. They double-check that every integration satisfies the necessary standards before partnering with HiBob. By making cybersecurity such an emphasis, following strict rules and regulations, HiBob raises the bar for data protection.
Securing Data from End-to-End
With so much sensitive customer data flowing through its systems, HiBob deploys multiple tactics to lock down information. As a result, all data is encrypted – both in transit and at rest. Secure AES-256 encryption is used to safeguard data as it moves and when it’s stored in databases.
On top of encryption, granular role-based permissions allow customers to limit data access. For example, salaries may be viewable only by an employee’s manager, restricting access for other roles.
Additionally, HiBob requires explicit consent from customers before HiBob staff can access any accounts. This ensures customers are in control of who can enter their account at all times. To prevent data loss, backup protocols are in place for regular data restoration. Customers are encouraged to schedule their own backups as well for added redundancy.
Together, these layers of encryption, permissions, consent, and backup create end-to-end protection. Sensitive HR data is fully secured as it flows through HiBob systems, safeguarded by overlapping defenses at every step.
Fortifying Networks and Facilities
For its infrastructure, HiBob leverages Amazon Web Services’ enterprise-grade data centers. These facilities have extensive physical security measures like security guards, fencing, cameras, and more. They also meet rigorous compliance standards such as ISO 27001.
When it comes to network security, HiBob employs a layered approach. Firewalls provide a first line of defense, blocking malicious traffic. Intrusion detection systems add visibility, monitoring networks for anomalies. HiBob also utilizes threat intelligence to stay on top of emerging risks that could impact their environment.
On top of their robust prevention controls, HiBob also has incident response plans in place. If a threat is detected, their security team can quickly isolate the issue and investigate to mitigate impact. By partnering with AWS for hardened facilities and building layered network defenses, HiBob makes their environment resilient from both physical and digital attacks. Their defense-in-depth approach secures infrastructure along with the data itself.
Promoting a Culture of Security
HiBob recognizes that cybersecurity relies on more than just technology – people need to be security-minded too. All HiBob employees and contractors go through ongoing security awareness training. There are clear policies in place that every team member must follow related to data privacy, access controls, and other critical areas.
When onboarding new team members, background checks and reference checks are conducted thoroughly to validate identities and qualifications. Once hired, all employees must sign confidentiality agreements binding them to handling data properly.
To continually reinforce security, the training and policies are revisited frequently, not just one-time activities. Security is also built into engineering processes, with developers receiving secure coding education and testing their code for vulnerabilities.
With robust training, policies, vetting, and building security into daily workflows, HiBob develops a culture focused on security from day one. Every team member understands their crucial role in protecting customer data. By investing in its people in addition to technology, HiBob takes a holistic approach that makes security a company-wide responsibility.
Final Words
HiBob is all-in when it comes to protecting their clients’ important info. They’ve gone above and beyond to future-proof security through tough certifications, strong encryption, comprehensive training—the whole nine yards. Data safety is baked into everything they do.
It’s clear they take cybersecurity seriously and are always looking to improve. While companies need to tailor approaches to their own situations, HiBob sets a great example of prioritizing cybersecurity in operations. With hacking risks increasing, cybersecurity should be a top priority for any organization out there. HiBob shows it’s possible to build a culture dedicated to locking down data and staying a step ahead.
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