By Ayomide Otitoju
Cybersecurity specialists are raising alarm over a growing wave of attacks targeting payroll and human-resources systems—platforms that hold extensive personal and financial information and can expose companies to regulatory penalties, reputational damage and operational paralysis if compromised.
Sandra Crous, Managing Director at Deel Local Payroll, powered by PaySpace, said cybercriminals are increasingly preying on payroll and HR teams. “Criminals are targeting payroll and HR staff. They may trick or pressure them with personal info or make them think they’re aiding the CEO. Ransomware attacks can encrypt payroll systems. Treating payroll and HR cybersecurity as optional is like leaving your front door wide open in a dangerous neighbourhood,” she warned.
Payroll teams are considered high-value targets because they handle sensitive employee data. If accessed unlawfully, such information can be exploited for fraud, identity theft and other financial crimes. Attackers commonly use phishing attempts, password-stealing schemes and social-engineering tactics to deceive or manipulate employees, sometimes even resorting to coercion.
Experts recommend strengthening staff training as a first line of defence. While all employees should understand basic cybersecurity practices, payroll and HR personnel require specialised training tailored to internal processes. Such programmes, they say, should build technical awareness as well as psychological resilience to withstand manipulation attempts.
Improved collaboration between cybersecurity units and HR or payroll departments is also essential. Security teams can support data-management practices, help reduce errors, and reinforce compliance requirements. Regular engagement between the groups can foster shared understanding and strengthen overall organisational security.
However, specialists emphasise that training alone is insufficient if organisations rely on outdated systems. Legacy payroll and HR software often lack critical protections and create single points of failure. They advise adopting modern, cloud-native platforms that offer secure access controls, automatic updates, comprehensive audit trails and the ability for authorised staff to work safely from any location.
According to cybersecurity analysts, combining staff readiness, cross-department cooperation and secure digital infrastructure remains the most effective defence against escalating threats to payroll and HR operations.
