When it comes to payroll and HR, people trust us with some of their most sensitive data, and it is essential that we take that responsibility seriously.
Protecting data is getting tougher. Cyber threats are no longer just spam emails or basic viruses, they’re smarter, more targeted, and often backed by organised crime groups looking for high-value information.
That’s why we’re proud to announce that we have renewed our Cyber Essentials Plus certification, a government-backed, independently assessed security standard. This is a huge part of making sure our systems are secure and resilient. But for us, it’s not just about ticking a box. At Cintra, we believe protecting our clients means always aiming higher than achieving basic compliance.
What is Cyber Essentials Plus and why is it so important?
Cyber Essentials Plus is the UK’s top cybersecurity certification, and it’s not just paperwork. It involves real-world testing of how well we protect basics: firewalls, user access, software updates, and malware defences.
For Cintra, this is a reflection of our values to proactively protect confidential payroll and HR data everyday.
Why it matters right now
Cyber threats have changed. Attacks are more targeted, more sophisticated, and often aimed at organisations like ours.
Scattered Spider
A group known for impersonating staff through social engineering and SIM-swapping. They’re skilled at bypassing multi-factor authentication, and they often go straight for HR systems, where trust can be a vulnerability.
Hazy Hawk
Experts in staying hidden. They use zero-day exploits to get in quietly, then sit undetected for weeks or even months, usually looking for access to financial and payroll data.
The reality of today’s climate is that you don’t need to prepare for if someone tries to breach your systems, you need to prepare for when it happens.
Why HR and payroll are a magnet for cybercrime
If you were a cybercriminal, where would you look? The answer is simple: HR and payroll systems. They hold some of the most sensitive personal and financial data in any organisation, and that makes them high-value targets.
HR Systems: a goldmine of personal information
HR platforms store everything from CVs and contracts to bank details, right-to-work documents, and addresses—all in one place.
Attackers know this. Groups like Scattered Spider are known to impersonate applicants or suppliers to trick HR teams into giving access.
Tactics include:
- Sending malicious CV attachments
- Phishing emails aimed at HR inboxes
- Taking advantage of weak or misconfigured MFA
Payroll Systems: direct access to financial resources
If HR systems are the front door, payroll is the vault. These systems connect directly to employee bank accounts, pension records, tax details, and salary data—a jackpot for financially driven attackers.
Threat actors like Hazy Hawk have used stealth access and data exfiltration techniques to silently drain or reroute payroll data.
Common attack methods:
- Credential stuffing on payroll portals
- Business email compromise (BEC) to change salary payment details
- Malware injected into payroll updates or integration
The tangible costs of a security breach
The financial damage from a cyberattack on HR or payroll infrastructure can be severe
- £3.58 million – Average cost of a UK data breach in 2024
- £5.4 million+ – Average breach cost in high-value sectors such as finance and professional services
- £44 billion – Total UK business losses due to cyberattacks over the last 5 years
- 1.9% – Average revenue loss per breach
(Sources: SMEWeb, Cyber Magazine, IBM)
These are not theoretical numbers. They reflect real financial loss, reputational harm, and business disruption.
Cintra's Data Protection Strategy: A Multi-Layered Defence
At Cintra, we don’t just meet the industry standard we go far beyond it.
Our security programme is designed to be comprehensive, adaptive, and resilient, incorporating a layered defence model tailored to the unique risks of payroll and HR data handling.
The following are just some of the technologies and practices we’ve implemented as part of our broader security architecture:
- Cybereason EDR: AI-powered endpoint detection and response to stop threats in real-time
- Rapid7 MDR: 24/7 monitoring and threat hunting by a dedicated Security Operations Centre
- Mandatory MFA Everywhere: Enforced across all systems, users, and access points
- External Domain Scanning: Proactively identifies and closes vulnerabilities across Cintra’s digital footprint
- Web Trawling & Dark Web Monitoring: Searches for leaked credentials, mentions of Cintra, and signs of targeting
- Staff Security Awareness & Simulation: Regular phishing tests and ongoing training for all employees
- Full Auditability: Every user action is logged, traceable, and reviewable
What’s Next for 2025 and Beyond
Cyber Essentials Plus is just the foundation. Looking ahead, Cintra is focused on:
- Predictive threat modelling using AI
- Real-time anomaly detection across customer workflows
- Security dashboards offering visibility and control to our clients