An open letter to Kronos Customers:

How Asure Protects Your Payroll Data

Ransomware attacks are most often successful when an employee clicks a link or application he or she should not. In an interview with NBC News, Luke Wood with Allevia Technology explained that “Ransomware is almost always without fail when someone clicked something they shouldn’t have.”

Every employee at Asure goes through a rigorous security course on their very first day of employment. We also use multi-factor authentication (such as a security code sent by text message) to make sure access NEVER gets in the hands of a hacker. And our information Security team (InfoSec) runs regular penetration tests where all employees undergo ongoing surprise blind tests that make everyone hyper-vigilant.

Kronos is responsible for the actions of their 12,000 employees. But, Asure runs a tight ship with just under 500 employees.  Remember, your Payroll Provider is only as strong as its weakest link.

3 Separate Reports Show the Growing Threat to Payroll Software

1. A Forrester study revealed that when it comes to disastrous data breaches, 44% were caused by employees who intentionally or not, exposed sensitive data to hackers.

2. A Verizon Security Report also found insider threats to be a growing problem as they accounted for 34% of attacks.

3. Even worse, according to Dell SecureWorks, nearly 70% of all IT breaches are attributable to human elements. (Hackers trick their targets into clicking on malicious links or email attachments.)

The 7 Pillars of Asure’s Best-in-Class Information Security Controls

• Full compliance with the strictest privacy standards, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

• Complete vulnerability management scans

• Data encryption

• Protected cloud storage

• Customizable security rights (prevent unauthorized access and limit individual users to access only what you choose)

• SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 Audits and Certifications (An independent third-party conducts a thorough examination of our entire organization. They verify we have an effective system of controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy)

• Compliance with ACH banking rules governed by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA)

Ransomware Attacks Are Rising Quickly

1. The IT Security experts at Varonis report, “Ransomware gangs have been shifting their focus to managed service providers (MSPs), a platform that serves many clients at once. This means that if a hacker gains access to one MSP, it could also reach the clients it’s serving as well.”   And what’s an example of a highly valuable MSP? Your outsourced payroll provider!

2. The number of ransomware attacks nearly doubled in the first half of 2021. According to our research, 1,097 organizations were hit by ransomware attacks in the first half of 2021. In contrast, our 2020 report found 1,112 ransomware attacks for the entire year.” — Cognyte, security analytics software firm.  Think that’s an aberration? Unfortunately, it’s not.

3. The respected data site Statista reports that Ransomware attacks also jumped 62% from 2019 to 2020.

Cognyte’s data also tells us that your outsourced Payroll provider is a target. (HR companies are always in the Top 5 of industries in the crosshairs of sophisticated Ransomware gangs.) Dig in to find out how your payroll partner is protecting your social security numbers, your confidential compensation data, and most importantly, your reputation.

When Kronos fails you again, what will you tell your employees?

As they say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

This is your opportunity to demonstrate your full commitment to the working families who count on you.

We’d love to provide you with more information about Asure’s Payroll solution. Ask all the questions you need. It’s an important decision and we want you to feel completely comfortable. Contact Us for options.