Protecting digital documents that contain valuable information and data is one of the top priorities of organisations today. The consequences of a data breach are widespread, with impacts stretching far beyond the direct consequences of critical information loss. Ramifications can include a hit to your bottom line, damage to your reputation and legal repercussions. Threats from hackers and cybercriminals outside your organisation are those you might most commonly associate with a data breach. Then, there are the less obvious risks - those from inside your business. Employees are now known to be a potential cyber risk, whether through malicious intent or inadvertent behaviours.
As a result, it has never been more important to ensure your sensitive information is stored and accessed with utmost regard to security best practices. In this post, we will be covering 5 critical steps to take to improve your digital document security.
5 steps to protecting your business’ digital documents
Let’s find out how digital document security can be implemented in your company.
1. Start with a security audit
Regular, scheduled reviews of your digital file storage system are key to identifying security vulnerabilities. Look at backup practices, document retention schedules and how documents are being created, managed, shared and deleted.
With technology evolving quickly, and cybercriminals setting the pace, it's important that your security measures and software are also up to date. Regularly audit your security measures and note when the latest software versions are being updated to keep security tight.
Also frequently audit permissions and who has access to documents. Make sure you are removing or updating permissions based on any staff leaving or moving roles.
Once you’ve audited your system, you will have a baseline to work from. The next steps will help you to ensure your digital document security follows best practices.
2. Encrypt your data
Encryption is the process of encoding a document so only those with the proper access can open and read (decrypt) it. Users decrypt data using a password, token or pin code. Encryption is an important yet simple practice to ensure your digital documents are protected when they are stored and in transit.
Whether you’re storing confidential information on a server or sending documents over email, always ensure they are encrypted. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) in combination with encryption for an added layer of protection.
3. Back it up
Backing up data is important, so is keeping that data secure. Backups should be stored with encryption to provide you with the assurance they are safe and sound. This will ensure no unauthorised access to important digital documents while they are being stored.
For organisations that need to store large quantities of data, such as patient records, for set periods, digital archiving can be a more secure - and efficient - alternative to the traditional records room.
4. Update your software
While software updates may seem inconvenient, they are critical for maintaining your security defenses. These updates often include patches for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. Delaying updates can leave your system exposed to the latest threats.
Set your operating system and applications to update automatically, ensuring that your software always has the latest security fixes installed. For essential applications, such as file-sharing tools and collaboration software, make sure updates are applied as soon as they become available.
5. Train employees
A robust security policy is essential, but it’s often the behaviour of your employees that ultimately determines your security posture. Providing regular training on topics like data encryption, the use of VPNs, secure file-sharing practices and the dangers of sending confidential information via unsecured channels is crucial.
Create a culture of security within your organisation by designating security champions who model best practices for others. Encouraging staff to report suspicious activities and rewarding proactive security behaviours will help ensure that your team stays vigilant and informed.
How ECM can help protect digital documents
Electronic content management (ECM) is a system designed to manage your business's documents and other content. ECM solutions help you manage, store, index, activate and share content in a streamlined and secure way. ECM also provides you with audit trails and real-time reporting which can assist your business in tracking suspicious behaviour.
An effective ECM can consolidate access and business processes, maintain integrity, minimise overheads and optimise your digital document security.
A new ECM will change how people work and manage documents across your organisation. It's not an easy or quick decision to make, but our Enterprise Content Management Checklist will help you consider your options and identify the right ECM to meet your business needs.
