To handle documents safely, your business needs the right mix of tools, policies, and employee education

Whether your organization works with protected health information, financial data, or customer addresses, it’s up to you to keep that data safe. If you don’t, it can cost you. Research shows that the average data breach costs a staggering $4.88 million in 2024.

You’ll need a mix of thoughtful policy and sophisticated security solutions to protect your business from the widest array of threats. These best practices will help you design and implement secure document management systems that keep data secure and threat actors out.

Best practices for secure document management

1. Go digital

The first step in securing your documents is to digitize them. In physical form, sensitive documents should be kept under lock and key. Security staff need to monitor them and approve every worker who tries to access them. Not only does this slow down work, but it exposes your business to needless risk. Floods and fires can destroy thousands of records, and even a single misplaced file can lead to a major data leakage.

By digitizing paperwork, you can avoid these bottlenecks, keep documents neatly filed, and protect against natural disasters. At the same time, you gain a slew of new protective measures you can apply to keep threat actors out of your systems, from encryption to access controls.

2. Sort documents by sensitivity

Security features don’t have to come at the expense of convenience. Sensitivity labels allow for secure document management that doesn’t slow productivity. When a document enters your system, you can assign it a sensitivity rating depending on what kind of information it includes. That rating would correspond to the level of permissions required to access it.

For instance, you might use a document access control to ensure only high-ranking personnel can view your most sensitive documents. That reduces your exposure in the event of a breach. Meanwhile, you could apply fewer restrictions to less sensitive documents. Applying controls with thought and care can secure data and ensure employees don’t have to spend all their time asking for access to documents they need to do their jobs.

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3. Encrypt sensitive data

Encryption forms the foundation of secure document management, and you’ll find it in plenty of security standards. For instance, HIPAA recommends that electronic protected health information (ePHI) be encrypted, making it one of the best practices if you work in healthcare. The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) requires that any business that accepts credit card payments encrypt customer card data when transmitting over open, public networks.

When you apply encryption to a document, that document becomes nearly impossible for a threat actor to read. Even if they manage to infiltrate your systems, your sensitive information stays protected. To get the maximum benefit, you should ensure documents are encrypted both in storage and whenever they’re shared.

4. Adopt a document management system

A document management system (DMS) is a software solution that organizes, tags, indexes, and stores documents in a single, centralized location. Not only is it incredibly useful for collaboration and organization, but it’s the easiest way to apply a wide range of secure document management tools at once. That’s a boon for your employees, who now only need to learn one system rather than several. Storing your documents in a single system also makes it easier to apply protections consistently.

When selecting a DMS, look for these features to ensure a high-security product:

• Document access controls to specify which users can access which documents. Role-based permissions can speed up the process, and granular control over who can view or edit files makes for more precise security.
• Automatic document encryption to protect information as soon as it enters your system and prevent it from falling through the cracks.
• Audit trails and change logs to keep track of who changes files, when, and how. This maintains accountability, aids in forensic investigations, and helps compliance auditors work more quickly.
• Version control to preserve every iteration of a document. This allows you to roll back unwanted changes and prevents users from working on outdated file versions.
• Cloud-stored backups to protect your system from ransomware attacks. By restoring your system to an earlier version, you can cut your attackers’ leverage and return to work more quickly.

Most document management systems can be used in any sector. However, if you work in healthcare, law, or accounting, look for a DMS designed with your industry regulations in mind.

5. Set document access policies

Having the right security tools is only half the battle. The other half is using them correctly. For that, you’ll need two things: a robust written policy and comprehensive training.

Written document policies create a record of how workers should handle documents. Workers can refer to it when handling documents to ensure their work stays safe. Compliance auditors also use your policies to gain a baseline understanding of your secure document management practices. They then compare it against how your employees actually work to determine their evaluation.

Often, employees need more than a handbook to execute proper document management. You can support them by explaining your policies, hosting education sessions for your tools, and regularly refreshing security training.

6. Conduct regular security audits

Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field. What works today may be outdated tomorrow. To ensure your document management stays secure, conduct audits at regular intervals. Look for vulnerabilities in your software defenses, but don’t forget to check in on employees as well. Even the best-designed system can fail if workers aren’t following your policies. If you notice frequent lapses, start by understanding the root issue. Do employees fully understand proper procedure? Does the procedure interfere with their ability to work? Addressing employee pain points can lead to more effective policy and better adherence over time.

Did You Know?:Document management systems can help simplify, accelerate, and secure your workflows. To learn more about them, read our guide.

Design a document management plan that works for you

Security is just one spoke in the wheel of document management. Your organization also needs to consider workflow efficiency, retention timelines, organizational schemes, and more. If you want to design the optimal system for your business, Ricoh is here to help. Our ebook, Document Management Best Practices for the Modern Business, provides a start-to-finish guide to excellent document management. Click here to read it for free.

Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal or financial advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed professional regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.