By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Cybersecurity expert and
former Director-General of Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, Dr Albert
Antwi-Boasiako, has called on Human Resources (HR) executives to strengthen the
protection of employee data and recognise the growing cybersecurity risks associated
with HR and payroll systems.
Speaking at the 7th Biennial
HR Conference, where he represented the e-Crime Bureau, Dr Antwi-Boasiako
delivered a presentation titled “Your People Data is a Target: The Cyber Risks
Every HR Leader Should Understand.”
He highlighted statistics
showing the scale and growing impact of data breaches globally. According to
the Identity Theft Resource Centre’s H1 2026 Data Breach Report, 471 million
breach victim notices were reported in the first half of 2026 alone, surpassing
the 297.5 million notices recorded throughout 2025.
He also cited IBM data
indicating that the average cost of a data breach stands at $4.96 million,
while figures from SkillPanel reportedly show that HR and payroll systems have
exposed 12.6 million employee records globally.
Dr Antwi-Boasiako further
referenced the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, which found that
60% of breaches involve a human element, including social engineering,
credential theft and insider error.
He said the figures
reinforce a critical reality for organisations: cyberattacks do not always
originate from technical vulnerabilities but can frequently exploit people.
The cybersecurity expert
urged HR executives within Ghana’s mining sector to understand the data they
hold and the systems used to store and process it. He also encouraged HR
leaders to verify information before taking action, establish appropriate governance
around artificial intelligence, demand greater accountability from third-party
vendors and promote a cyber-aware culture across their organisations.
According to Dr
Antwi-Boasiako, the expanding digital threat landscape has changed the
responsibilities of HR departments, which are no longer limited to managing
employee records.
He said HR executives are
increasingly responsible for safeguarding workforce data, supporting
organisational resilience and maintaining digital trust.
