Document Management Security Protocols to Implement Today
Document management security protocols protect your data from an attack or simply an accident that compromises confidential information. According to the Ponemon Institute’s annual Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million, a 1.5% increase from the 2018 study. Creating standard practices will reduce the financial and reputation risk that accompanies a data breach.
A secure document management system should have:
Controlled Access
Employee access rights will vary based on specific needs to access documents. Managing access at the document level can include password protection, rights management, and digital signatures. Its crucial employees, of any level, only have access to the documents that they need. Activity monitoring and audit trails will show who accessed a document and the actions taken including printing, exporting, or sharing. Include authentication and usage controls on any scanner, MFP, printer, PC, or laptop, and mobile devices that have access to documents on a corporate network. Any unusual activity would be reported by an individual responsible for monitoring your document management system.
Cloud Backups
Viruses and other malicious software, from hackers and identity thieves, can penetrate systems and wipe out important data. Maintaining backups for all data and hosting it in a separate environment is the foundation for a solid disaster recovery plan. If a ransomware attack occurs and the primary data source is compromised having multiple backups will ensure employees can still work during the recovery process.
Encryptions
Using an accepted form of encryption makes data more difficult for hackers to access. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is used worldwide and makes multiple encryptions passes to scramble data repeatedly. It would take 500 billion years for a hacker, using brute force, to crack 128-bit AES encryption — a common encryption method used in many document management solutions and what the U.S. government says is acceptable for data classified as secret.
Regulatory Compliance
Compliance guidelines enforce the amount of time a document needs to be stored before it can legally be destroyed. Holding on to old documents past their compliance date is a liability issue for many organizations. A good practice is to ensure that your document management system has a process for notifying the appropriate parties about archival and destruction deadlines.
Education is the Frontline Defense for Document Management Security
Employee training teaches vigilance against attacks and instills an understanding of corporate policies. User training supports employees understanding of why they must follow the guidelines put into place to improve document security. The authentication, encryption, and data/document governance policies put in place by the company will protect viable data.
Find the Best DMS For Your Team
Digital recording keeping is the most secure way to protect information. Digital storage protects data from human error, natural disasters, and cyber-attacks. Improve document management security by implementing security protocols and recovery plans. InStream can help you vet solutions that will provide the most secure environment to host your data without compromising the communication or retrieval features.
