Protecting Payroll Data While Travelling: Security Tips For Small Businesses

Protecting Your Payroll Data While Travelling

Learn how to help protect your sensitive payroll data and securely access your cloud payroll while travelling, including practical steps you can take before and during your trip.

Why travel security matters

Cloud payroll has changed the way small businesses process payroll. Whether you're in the office or working remotely, you can access your payroll from any location with an internet connection.

This flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of cloud payroll, but it also means you'll sometimes be connecting from networks that are outside your control. If you're planning to access your payroll while travelling, it's worth understanding how to keep your payroll data secure.

Payroll systems contain some of the most sensitive information your business holds, including tax file numbers (TFNs), bank account details, employee addresses and salary information. As an employer, you have a legal responsibility to protect this information. Taking a few simple precautions before and during your trip can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorised access to your payroll data.

Take your own device

If you expect to access your payroll while travelling, plan to use your own laptop, tablet or phone.

Avoid relying on public computers, such as those found in hotel business centres, internet cafés or airport lounges. You have no way of knowing how these devices are configured, whether they have been compromised or if they retain information after you've signed out.

One of the advantages of cloud payroll is that your payroll records remain stored on secure servers rather than on your own device. However, public computers may still retain temporary information such as browser history, downloaded payslips or sign-in details, which is why it's best to avoid using them. By using your own trusted device, you significantly reduce the risk of exposing sensitive payroll information.

Is my connection secure?

Using your own device is an important first step, but it's only part of the picture. Your payroll data still needs to travel across the internet to reach your cloud payroll provider.

Modern cloud payroll systems, including seSQue Payroll, use HTTPS to encrypt all communication between your browser and your cloud payroll provider. This helps protect your payroll data from being read or modified while it's being transmitted over the internet.

When you're connected to a trusted network, such as your office or home, HTTPS provides strong protection for your communication with your cloud payroll provider.

However, when you're travelling you're more likely to connect through public Wi-Fi networks that you don't control. Although most public Wi-Fi networks are perfectly legitimate, you generally have no way of knowing how they are configured, who else is connected to them or how well they are secured.

If possible, use your mobile phone as a personal hotspot instead of connecting to public Wi-Fi.

Whether you're using a personal hotspot or public Wi-Fi, you're still outside your usual work environment and no longer benefit from the additional protection that a managed business network provides.

Given the highly sensitive nature of payroll data, adding another layer of protection is good security practice. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides this additional layer by encrypting all of your internet traffic before it leaves your device.

HTTPS protects the communication between your browser and your cloud payroll provider. A VPN goes one step further by protecting all of your internet traffic. The two technologies complement each other, providing multiple layers of protection.

Choosing a VPN

Most commercial VPN services are easy to use and allow you to select the country you want to connect through. When choosing a VPN, make sure it offers Australian servers and supports all the devices you use to access your payroll.

Popular VPN providers include:

• NordVPN
• ExpressVPN
• Proton VPN

These are provided as examples only. We are not affiliated with, or endorse, any VPN provider. There are many other reputable VPN services available and you should choose the one that best meets your needs.

Plan ahead

Install and test your VPN before you leave. Knowing that everything works before you travel can save valuable time if you need to process payroll while you're away.

Final thoughts

Whenever you're travelling, we recommend connecting to your payroll through a VPN to provide an additional layer of protection for your internet connection.

If using a VPN isn't possible, carefully consider the risks before accessing your payroll. As an employer, you have a legal responsibility to protect your employees' personal information.