The sensitive nature of many documents processed by businesses creates document security as a key area of concern. If data is in the wrong hands, it could damage a company’s reputation and the bottom line. It can also result in fines and legal actions.
Document security is the process of creating and enforcing guidelines on what information can be shared, who is able to view it, and the best ways to safeguard it. It requires training for all employees and the use of secure hardware to limit access to sensitive data, and it is essential that everyone knows how to follow these protocols.
No matter if information is stored on paper or in digital formats, there are various security threats to consider for human error (e.g. employees lose the physical copy of a document) and hacking events. It’s also possible for information to be compromised during the transfer of data between devices, so it’s essential that hardware and software is regularly updated.
Passwords and other login protection are crucial to safeguard digital documents, as are features like redaction (removing specific information) and tracking opens which can prevent the sharing of documents that are not authorized by making it more difficult for users to hide how many times a document has been opened. These measures can be greatly improved when they’re combined with other security protocols for documents.
Imagine, for instance you have a contract or bid which expires after a certain time. You’d like to make sure it’s no longer accessible when the deadline is over. This can be accomplished using expiry of documents or revocation of access, as well as self-destructing options.
