Payroll Security: Deel Local Payroll CEO Says Single Data Source Will Stop Fraud, Cybercrime

Companies across Africa risk payroll data breaches because payroll information is scattered across spreadsheets, emails and different computers, making it easy to copy and steal.

The warning was given by the Chief Executive Officer of Deel Local Payroll, Bruce van Wyk, who said 80% of business data breaches involve HR and payroll files, ranging from cyberattacks to payroll fraud and insider leaks.

Van Wyk, in a statement on Tuesday, said many firms lack a cohesive and visible payroll environment, leaving them unable to track or manage sensitive payroll data.

“When payroll data is spread across several places, like spreadsheets, emails, and different computers, it’s easy to copy and steal. The company can’t track or manage that data,” he said.

He said the solution is the creation of a single source of truth through cloud-native platforms, where payroll, HR and finance data reside in one secure system with controlled, role-based access.

According to him, such platforms offer secure vendor storage with 256-bit encryption and ISO 27001:2022 certification, audit trails, approval workflows, 24/7 monitoring and automatic security updates.

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He explained that a cloud platform functions like a gated community for apps, workflows and data storage, allowing different systems such as payroll engine, self-service portals and even WhatsApp bots to draw from the same data source securely.

“When all your information is scattered in different places, it makes you less productive and much harder to keep all that information safe. By creating a single data source through a cloud platform, you get many productivity and security advantages,” Van Wyk added.