Protecting your data

The following points should be considered to make MYOB Payroll secure in a stand-alone windows environment.

• Set up your Windows environment to automatically install the latest patches for your PC.
• If your Windows version comes with Bitlocker encryption, make sure to use the Bitlocker encryption for your local hard drives.
• Use a Windows Local Account with a strong, secure password.
• Make sure the System Restore option is enabled and your Windows system is configured to revert to an old configuration after any undesired changes happen in your system.

• Use Antivirus software and enable Windows Firewall.

  

  Having firewall and antivirus software in place can slow down the product. MYOB generally recommends you set up an exclusion zone for payroll software.
• If any other users use the same PC and you do not want them to access your Payroll data, make sure that the payroll folder is not shared and no-one has any access to it except the actual user.

For information on setting up the Windows security features mentioned above, search the Windows help on the Microsoft support website.

MYOB does not support MYOB NZ Payroll in a network environment. This must be supported by your IT department/person.

The following points should be considered to make MYOB Payroll secure in a networked Windows environment.

• Create separate Windows logins for all users and do not allow administrator access to everyone. Do not used shared accounts—separate logins provide a clearer audit trail.
• MYOB Payroll should be installed on a secure server, and only restricted payroll/HR users should be given folder permissions for the payroll software and data folder.
• You can use MYOB Payroll without setting a password. However, it is recommended that a password be used if there is the possibility the payroll file may be accessed by other persons. If you need to ensure that only an authorised person should have access to your data, you can specify a password that must be entered before MYOB Payroll can open your payroll file
• Do not allow any users to download random utility programs from internet. The data files for MYOB Payroll can be viewed easily using third-party programs if users get access to the payroll data folder.
• Restrict access to forms of removable media or file transfer:
  • Disable unnecessary access to removable media storage.
  • Disable unnecessary access to wireless devices/unknown SSIDs.
  • Segregate the server from other parts of the wired/wireless network that could contain file shareable folders.
  • Restrict access to internet-based file sharing technology.
  • Third-party server additions can be used to monitor file or folder usage or uploads.
• If you are using Windows Terminal Server, MYOB recommends that the MYOB Payroll installation folder be on the Terminal Server’s local drive. This avoids many potential network-related issues.

It is vital to have payroll disaster recovery plan in case a server or workstation with MYOB Payroll installed goes down.

Disaster recovery and business continuity planning are integral parts of the overall risk management for an organization. In the event of a disaster, the continued operations of your company depend on the ability to replicate your IT systems and data.

MYOB Payroll is a desktop application—by default, the data is stored in a local Windows folder or a networked Windows folder, depending on the configuration.

It is possible to use MYOB Payroll on a Windows Terminal Server hosted in the cloud. This could be one of the best possible ways to plan for disaster recovery and business continuity.

It is recommended that you do regularly backups and save the backups to an external drive (such as a USB drive), network storage devices or portable hard disks. It is always a best practice to keep multiple copies of the backups in each location if your business is in multiple regions. Backups should be kept onsite and offsite.