Professional March 2024

COMPLIANCE

Fiona Smith MCIPPdip, CIPP payroll training manager, answers the key questions surrounding the CIPP’s new eLearning course on cyber security essentials for payroll, and explains why you should complete this course C yber security continues to be a crucial topic for any organisation that handles sensitive data, especially would provide them with the essential knowledge and skills to do that, targeted

security, such as what it is, why it matters and some common types of cyber threats and attacks. It also covers how to protect your data and systems, such as using strong passwords, encryption, backups and secure file handling. It also covers how to respond to a cyber incident, such as how to identify an incident, how to report it and how to recover from it. Q: Why should someone consider completing this course? A: The topic of cyber security should be considered essential learning for anyone who works in payroll or handles payroll data, whether they’re new to the industry or are experienced professionals. Cyber security isn’t something you can ignore or leave to someone else; it’s everyone’s responsibility. By taking this course, you will not only improve your own skills, but also contribute to making your payroll more secure and resilient. Q: Thank you for your time, and where can we find more information about this course? A: It’s been a pleasure. To find further information or to book this course, go to our website at https://ow.ly/vIcL50QrbwC. The new course is available now, and costs £199 + VAT for two hours of eLearning content. n

specifically at the challenges faced by payroll. That’s why we created our new eLearning course, ‘ Cyber security essentials for payroll ’, designed to help payroll practitioners understand the basics of cyber security and how to apply them in their daily work. Q: How did the team go about putting the course together? A: We conducted research into best practices in cyber security and worked closely with cyber security experts, who provided us with valuable guidance and feedback on the course content and structure. We also consulted with payroll practitioners and employers to understand their needs and challenges regarding cyber security via the CIPP industry roundtable. Understanding that the life of a payroll professional is a busy one, we decided to create this course as an eLearning course which can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device. The course doesn’t take longer than two hours to complete, and has been designed to be engaging and interactive, using real-life examples, videos and knowledge check quizzes. Q: What are some of the main topics covered in the course? A: The course covers the basics of cyber

payroll. Payroll professionals are responsible for the sensitive personal and financial data of employees, clients and suppliers. This data is valuable to cyber criminals, who can use it for identity theft, fraud or extortion, making payroll a hugely attractive target. We sat down with the CIPP’s payroll training manager, Fiona Smith, to discuss how the CIPP’s new eLearning course on cyber security essentials for payroll is helping payroll professionals to understand how to protect themselves and their data from cyber threats. Q: Hi Fiona, thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us how a need for a cyber security course was identified? A: Hi, thank you for having me. The CIPP is always looking for ways to support our members and the wider payroll community with relevant and up to date training opportunities. Recent news stories about cyber-attacks affecting organisations of all sizes and sectors have highlighted that cyber security is one of the most pressing issues facing payroll today. Payroll professionals handle a lot of sensitive data that could be targeted by cyber criminals, so they need to be aware of the risks and how to mitigate them. We wanted to create a course which

| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | March 2024 | Issue 98 14

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker