5 Cybersecurity Tips to Protect Candidate Data During Recruitment

Recruitment websites are hubs for sensitive information, therefore they are big targets when it comes to cybercrime. Hackers often go after data that they can use, such as credit card information or social security numbers. 

According to a report conducted by IBM Security, in the last year data breaches cost organizations $3.86 million in damages. 

This is why you need to make sure that you have the right measures in place to protect your candidates’ data, otherwise, no one will want to share their private information with you, let alone work for you. 

The Importance of Cybersecurity for Your Recruitment Website

Almost everyone will visit a recruitment website at one point in their lives to either hire or get hired. They then share plenty of personal information, like their experience, education, address, emails, and phone numbers during the process. This information might not seem like much, but it is enough for hackers to get ahold of personal information to give them access to other things like bank accounts or social security numbers.

Due to the pandemic, a lot more of what we do has been moved online, creating more opportunities for hackers to strike. As an organization, you owe it to your candidates to ensure that all communications can be conducted safely and securely under surveillance on your website. 

These are some tips to help you keep all of your candidates’ sensitive information safe during the hiring process. 

1. Use an authentication tool. 

One of the major first steps in making sure your data is secure is to implement an authentication tool. An authentication tool will ensure that users logging into your website are who they say they are. Without one, unauthorized users are able to hack your website easily. There are a few different types of authentication tools on the market, but one of the best and easiest solutions to implement is to go with a multi-factor authentication tool.

During this authentication process, users will need to take two steps to log in successfully. First, they must enter their traditional login details like their username and password. Next, they will need to enter a passcode that was either sent to their phone, email, or authenticator application. 

2. Only use secure recruiting platforms. 

There are many different options when it comes to choosing and investing in secure technology. In general, you should make efforts to do your research before you invest in any particular vendor. Start by checking to see if your potential provider has a history of data breaches and how they handled it. 

It’s also good to make sure that the vendor is transparent when it comes to communication, and that they are able to provide you with documents that clearly lay out their security precautions for protecting your data. 

Once you have invested in secure tech, avoid transferring candidate data across different devices. Instead, use the secure software as the centralized hub for all sensitive candidate information. 

3. Limit administrative access to data.

If your company suffers a data breach, then your employees’ and candidates’ data are both at risk. One way to minimize the risk of this happening is by limiting access to the data itself. In many cases, only recruiters and higher-ups should be allowed to access sensitive candidate information. 

For example, you should require passwords to gain access to all accounts. Without the use of passwords, anyone can gain access to your candidates’ or employees’ accounts with unlimited access to data. 

4. Install safety nets.

To help protect your organization’s website against malware attacks, you will need to install anti-virus and anti-malware software. Anti-viruses will quarantine any files that seem suspicious and won’t let them into your systems. Anti-malware can detect malware on your website and get rid of it. 

Make sure that your IT department is involved and understands which solution will be the most effective when taking care of your cybersecurity. 

5. Train your employees regularly. 

Cybersecurity affects everyone in your organization. If only you are always aware of any potential threats, it won’t mean that your website is safe. All of your employees need to be aware as well so that they can deal with them when the situation arises.

Staff training is crucial to your cybersecurity success because hackers typically do not choose to go after high-level management, but rather more vulnerable ones. So you should train your employees regularly to help protect against security threats like malware injections, phishing attacks, and network hacking. 

Level Up Your Team With 1Huddle

1Huddle can help you and your team stay ahead of the learning curve. We offer cloud-based employee gamification software. You can customize your content for a seamless experience and all of your employees will be able to access their training anywhere, anytime and at the push of a button. You can use our game platform to measure their performance and make key decisions on where you should take your gamification strategy next. 

Do you want to learn more about how 1Huddle can help you level up your own workforce? Talk to us today.