What to Do if Your Computer Gets Hacked

Access to data is essential to recruitment - how else would you be able to contact clients, email jobs to candidates or close the deal on a big contract? Without data, your job and every day professional activity would come to a standstill.

Most of us take cyber safety for granted, but keeping your computer safe is crucial if you work in recruitment. Computer hacks are becoming more common, and with hundreds - if not thousands - of personal details stored on your computer, not knowing what to do if you're hacked could spell disaster. Follow our tips for what to do if your computer is hacked.

Inform everyone whose personal data may have been affected Do not delay this as you're legally required to inform individuals about a data protected breach that may affect their personal data as soon as you're aware.

Do not email them notification - for obvious reasons. Instead send a written notification to the individuals, including details about the information that has been compromised and the steps you are taking to control the situation.

Alert the authorities Report the crime to your local police or Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre. With the launch of GDPR in May 2018, you will also be required to alert the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of a breach (this is the Information Commissioners Office for UK companies). Failing to do so will result in a potential fine and guaranteed reputational damage.

Seek support from a cybersecurity expert Expert advice is essential after a cyberattack, so don't delay in hiring a professional to help you out. Cybersecurity specialists will help by testing your network to discover what kind of attack occurred, why it happened, and what steps are needed to prevent future attacks.

Activate your business contingency plan If you don't yet have a contingency plan in place it's time to set one up. Make sure your plan includes a frequent data back-up schedule, as any attack - large or small - could affect your ability to access data for a considerable time.

Contact your insurance provider if you have one Claims processes should start ASAP. If you aren’t insured, you may want to consider looking into this. The right cover will protect you against a major loss of income and potential reputational damage.

How you can prepare now Being clued up on how digital technology is changing and impacting the world of recruitment is invaluable, and the IRP have some great resources to help bring you up to speed on this aspect of your work. Right now you can:

• Sign up for a GDPR workshop to discover your new obligations and why they matter
• Download the IRP Professional Guides to GDPR
• Read our data protection blog
• Sign up to the next REC Marketing Forum on 5 September which will focus on the evolving world of cyber security and how marketing teams can protect their assets and brand online