A Glossary of Key Terms: Security & Compliance in Cloud Platforms

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, HR and recruiting professionals increasingly rely on cloud-based platforms for everything from applicant tracking systems (ATS) and human resource information systems (HRIS) to payroll and talent management. While these tools offer unparalleled efficiency and scalability, understanding the nuances of security and compliance within these cloud environments is no longer optional—it’s imperative. This glossary provides essential definitions for key terms that every HR leader and recruiting director should know to safeguard sensitive data, maintain regulatory adherence, and ensure the integrity of their digital operations.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

CSPM refers to the continuous monitoring and improvement of an organization’s security posture across its cloud infrastructure. For HR and recruiting, this means regularly assessing cloud-based HRIS, ATS, or talent management platforms to identify misconfigurations, policy violations, and compliance risks that could expose sensitive employee or candidate data. Effective CSPM helps automate the identification of potential vulnerabilities, such as improperly configured data storage or overly permissive access controls, ensuring that personal data remains secure and compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR or CCPA, even as systems evolve.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

DLP is a set of tools and processes designed to prevent sensitive data from leaving an organization’s control, whether intentionally or unintentionally. In an HR context, DLP solutions are critical for protecting personally identifiable information (PII) of employees and candidates, intellectual property, and proprietary company data stored or processed in cloud platforms. DLP can identify, monitor, and protect data in transit, in use, and at rest, preventing unauthorized sharing of candidate resumes, employee health records, or confidential compensation data through emails, collaboration tools, or external storage.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA is a security system that requires users to verify their identity using multiple methods from independent categories of credentials. Instead of just a password, MFA might require a password combined with a code from a mobile app, a fingerprint scan, or a USB token. For cloud-based HR and recruiting systems, implementing MFA is a fundamental safeguard against unauthorized access. It significantly reduces the risk of credential theft, ensuring that only legitimate users can access sensitive candidate profiles, employee records, or performance data, even if their password has been compromised.

Least Privilege Principle

The principle of least privilege dictates that users should only be granted the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions. Applied to cloud platforms used by HR and recruiting, this means configuring access rights so that, for example, a recruiter only has access to candidate profiles and not payroll data, or a hiring manager can only view applications for their specific department. Adhering to the least privilege principle minimizes the attack surface, reducing the potential impact of a security breach by limiting what an unauthorized individual could access or compromise.

Zero Trust Architecture

Zero Trust is a security model that operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” Unlike traditional perimeter security, Zero Trust assumes that threats can originate from inside or outside the network, and therefore, no user or device is inherently trusted. For HR and recruiting leveraging cloud services, this means every access request to an HRIS, ATS, or other platform is rigorously authenticated, authorized, and continuously monitored, regardless of whether the user is inside or outside the corporate network. It’s about protecting every interaction with sensitive data, enhancing the security of remote work and diverse digital tools.

Encryption (Data At Rest/In Transit)

Encryption is the process of converting information or data into a code to prevent unauthorized access. “Data at rest” refers to data stored on a hard drive, server, or cloud storage, while “data in transit” refers to data moving across networks, like during a system integration or web browsing. For HR and recruiting, ensuring that all sensitive data—candidate applications, employee PII, salary information—is encrypted both when stored in cloud databases (at rest) and when being exchanged between systems (in transit) is paramount. This protects information from being legible if intercepted or accessed without proper authorization.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

IAM is a framework of policies, processes, and technologies that enable organizations to manage digital identities and control user access to resources. For HR and recruiting cloud platforms, IAM is critical for managing who has access to which systems and data. This includes provisioning new users (e.g., new hires), de-provisioning former employees, managing roles and permissions, and ensuring consistent security policies across all connected applications. Robust IAM prevents unauthorized access and ensures compliance by providing an auditable trail of all user activities and access rights.

Incident Response Plan (IRP)

An IRP is a documented set of procedures for identifying, responding to, and recovering from security incidents. For HR and recruiting teams using cloud platforms, a well-defined IRP is essential for mitigating the damage from events like data breaches, ransomware attacks, or unauthorized access to sensitive employee data. The plan outlines steps for detection, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident analysis, ensuring that if a cloud security incident occurs, the organization can act swiftly to protect data, notify affected parties, and restore normal operations with minimal disruption.

Cloud Compliance Frameworks (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001)

These are internationally recognized standards and reports that define how organizations should manage information security. SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) reports evaluate a cloud service provider’s controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. ISO 27001 is a global standard for information security management systems. For HR and recruiting, understanding if their cloud vendors adhere to these frameworks provides assurance that sensitive candidate and employee data is being handled securely and ethically, which is vital for risk management and due diligence.

Vendor Risk Management (VRM)

VRM is the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with third-party vendors and service providers. Given the extensive use of cloud-based ATS, HRIS, and other HR tech, VRM is crucial for HR and recruiting. It involves evaluating a vendor’s security posture, compliance certifications, data handling practices, and incident response capabilities before onboarding them. Continuous monitoring ensures that vendors maintain their security standards throughout the contract lifecycle, protecting sensitive HR data from vulnerabilities introduced by external partners.

Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

BCP is the process of creating a system of prevention and recovery from potential threats to a company. It’s designed to ensure that personnel and assets are protected and are able to function quickly in the event of a disaster. For HR and recruiting relying on cloud platforms, BCP ensures that critical HR functions—like payroll processing, candidate screening, or employee onboarding—can continue without significant interruption, even if a cloud service experiences an outage or a security incident. This includes strategies for data backup, system redundancy, and alternative communication channels.

Disaster Recovery (DR)

DR is a subset of BCP that focuses specifically on restoring IT infrastructure and operations after a disruptive event. In the context of cloud platforms for HR, DR plans detail how systems and data will be recovered in the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a major cloud provider outage or a widespread data corruption incident. This typically involves backing up data to different geographical locations, having failover mechanisms, and clearly defined steps to bring critical HR applications back online quickly, minimizing data loss and operational downtime.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

GDPR is a comprehensive data protection and privacy law enacted by the European Union. It imposes strict rules on how organizations handle and process the personal data of individuals within the EU. For HR and recruiting globally, GDPR compliance is critical when dealing with candidates or employees who are EU residents, regardless of where the company is located. This impacts how personal data is collected via cloud ATS, stored in HRIS, transferred internationally, and how individuals’ rights (e.g., right to be forgotten, right to access) are managed.

CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)

The CCPA is a state statute intended to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection for residents of California. Similar to GDPR, it grants California consumers specific rights regarding their personal information. For HR and recruiting professionals, understanding CCPA (and its successor, CPRA) is vital if they collect, process, or store data of California residents. This includes managing data collected through cloud-based recruitment platforms, ensuring transparency about data use, and responding to consumer requests regarding their data.

Vulnerability Management

Vulnerability management is the continuous process of identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and remediating security vulnerabilities in systems and applications. For HR and recruiting using cloud platforms, this means regularly scanning and testing their cloud environments, integrated HR tech, and web applications for known weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. Proactive vulnerability management helps HR teams stay ahead of potential threats, ensuring that any discovered flaws in their cloud-based systems are patched or addressed before they can lead to a security breach.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Mastering HighLevel Sandboxes: Secure Data for HR & Recruiting with CRM-Backup