Gone are the days when businesses piled their documents in dusty filing cabinets in their office buildings. As technology evolves, so is the way companies are handling their sensitive data. Instead of paying full-time security to watch over their most sensitive data, they are using cloud services.
While these services are great at cutting down on expenses and making the documents more readily available, there are things to consider. Companies have to follow document management security best practices to ensure the information that’s key to their business’ success remains out of the hands of bad actors.
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Monitor Who Has Access
It’s very important to monitor who has access to the documents. You don’t want an ex-employee to still have access to your network. It’s also important to make sure that your employees regularly change their passwords and are careful about where they access the information available to them. Keeping a tight grip on who’s able to access information is key to reducing the risk of cyberthreats.
Run Regular Tests
You should run regular security tests to make sure your network is strong. Sometimes, companies set up security protocols and then just let the system run itself. That’s just asking for a breach. If you use a third-party program to store your documents, it will likely run regular audits automatically. That is a great way to ensure your information is safe and remove the element of human forgetfulness from the equation.
Use Encryption Software
Encryption software is absolutely vital when you are implementing best practices for document security. These are programs that use cryptography to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to important information.
If someone does manage to breach the security firewalls you have in place, the data they steal will be completely useless because they won’t be able to understand what it means. Instead of seeing words, the thief will be confronted with a bunch of meaningless letters.
Regularly Back-Up Documents
One of the mistakes companies make is not backing up the files that they have. That means if a glitch occurs or someone is able to gain access to the system and start deleting files, there will be no record of important information.
This is sometimes an issue during cyberattacks. Some criminals will demand a company pay a ransom, or they will start deleting files or completely corrupt a system. Backing up files regularly and storing the information in a different place could prove to be invaluable.
Ensure Mobile Devices Are Secure
Employees will likely use their mobile devices, either phones or tablets, to access information at some point. It’s very important that companies have very strict guidelines about how to handle these devices because they are much easier for hackers to break into than traditional networks.
Your company should implement data encryption and device registration by using biometric technologies like fingerprinting. It might also be a good idea to only allow employees to access the work network on company-owned devices, including computers. That gives the business a lot more control over who has access to what and allows you to monitor the device more closely.
Get Rid of Those Paper Files
It’s time to get rid of those filing cabinets. Converting your records to digital files is incredibly important because you need all of your company’s information in one place. That makes it much easier for you to go back months or years and find a key fact that you might need to be successful today.
For example, if you own a doctor’s office, it doesn’t make sense to have some of your patient’s medical history in digital files and other parts of it in paper files. You can’t get a full picture of any issue if you do not have all of the information.
Your company’s data is an asset that must be protected at all costs. While going paperless is an essential way to reduce expenses, save the planet, and organize operations, using digital storage platforms still poses risks. Don’t wait until sensitive information is stolen, use the above suggestions to keep your company data safe.
