If you’re concerned with document security, there’s a big difference between paper and electronic systems.
In today’s world, security threats come from all corners. The internet is a common source of threats in the form of malware, Trojans, and viruses, which threaten your digital document security. Natural disasters, like fire and flood, threaten your physical document security. Finally, threats can also come from the inside, with employee theft or document misuse affecting both paper and electronic document security. So, what various security options are available and what are the differences?
Paper Document Security
It is easy to believe that actual physical hardcopies are secure documents, simply because they aren’t connected to the internet, and therefore not at risk of digital data breach. While they are safe from digital threats, there are still security threats that affect paper documents, namely your employees and natural disasters. The biggest thing that you can do to keep these paper documents secure is to look them up and limit access. Depending on the quantity of documents you have, this could mean something small like locking file cabinets or something larger like a file room with locks and controlled access. To protect against natural disasters, consider offsite file storage. Most offices don’t have complex fire and water safety systems in place to protect physical documents. Offsite facilities, however, usually have fire suppression systems and use climate-controlled, waterproof storage to protect the documents. If you do use an offsite storage facility, make sure that they also provide in-depth security features, such as thorough background checks on employees, 24/7 video monitoring, and access-controlled facilities.
Electronic Document Security
Many companies go paperless to save money and time, but this does increase security risks for documents. Your document management system should include access control features and file encryption at the minimum, but there are also other document security methods you can take. The first is document redaction, which can now be done during the document scanning process, leaving your original hardcopy un-redacted. ACL stands for access control lists, and is a feature of electronic document management that guarantees you should be an employee. Essentially, this acts as a list of users who are authorized to view a document, and it restricts other users from accessing the sensitive information. Finally, any files that are accessed through a document management system and stored in the cloud must be encrypted. This ensures that if they are intercepted by a hacker, the document will be useless without the encryption key.
Have Questions? Micro Records is Here to Help
If you have more questions about document management software, Micro Records is here to help you with all of your needs. We can help your business to transition to a paperless way of life with outstanding e-forms and technology. For more information about how we can help you implement your new document management software, visit us online or give us a call at 877-410-SCAN. For more tips, tricks, and to see what we have been working on, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.