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Document security: A guide for modern businesses

Document security: A guide for modern businesses

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Document security: A guide for modern businesses

Learn the fundamentals of securing your documents without sacrificing efficiency

You want your documents secure so only authorized parties can access and modify them. But you also want them accessible so employees who need the information can do their jobs. In the days of physical-only documentation, this could mean a delicate balancing act between access and security.

Fortunately, modern approaches to document security can help keep your organization’s info safe while delivering it wherever it needs to go. Here’s how to find the best fit for your company.

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A Guide to Document Archiving Solutions:

Integrating Compliance, Automation, and Data Governance

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Document security: How and why to get started

The average data breach cost nearly $4.9 million in 2024. One of the most important ways to keep your organization’s data safe is secure document storage. Following a few key practices and adopting modern technologies can help keep your documents safer today and for many years to come.

    Benefits of modern document security solutions

  • Safer documents
  • More accessible information
  • Reduced costs

3 document security best practices

icon of a document

Digitize your documents

The first step toward better document security is digitization. Physical documents must be secured behind lock and key, requiring extensive resources to both store and access them. Even then, they are still vulnerable to fire or natural disasters. Software can secure digital documents with only minimal human oversight.

Sort by sensitivity

A memo about an upcoming company social does not require the same level of document security as in-depth fiscal accounting. Sorting your documents based on their security level and requiring more controlled access only for high-security docs can protect your company without slowing work.

Embrace archiving

How do you know when a document is ready to move off your main systems? A systemic approach to document archiving will tell you. Ensure your document security includes policies and resources for long-term storage processes. It should also outline when to securely destroy different types of documents.

Read more about key approaches to document security in Secure Document Management: Best Practices and Tips and Document Archiving: Securing Documents for the Long Term.

Did You Know? Digitizing a company’s documents en masse doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore. PaperStream Capture Pro automates your data entry workflows with advanced form processing and streamlined quality control.  

Document security solutions: What to prioritize

When paired with best practices across your organization, modern document security tools can protect your information in multiple ways. They can prevent improper access, show who saw what and when, and keep your daily processes moving efficiently. Here are some ways to choose the best fit for your business.

    Your document security may . . .

  • Be integrated with a document management system 
  • Be part of broader network security
  • Include protocols for employees to follow outside your network

3 key features of document security solutions

Access control

If nothing else, your document security system needs to determine who can access what documents. It should be able to account for individual accounts, departments, current devices, and more before granting a user access to a document.

Audit trails

To ensure accountability, you may need to find out who had access to what documents and whether they made any changes to them. Automated audit trails create a single source of truth so you can quickly establish where critical information came from.

Ease of use

If your document security system is too hard to use, employees will find other ways to get their work done. This “shadow IT” is typically much less secure and may open your data up to breaches or misuse. Document security that is easy to use minimizes the temptation to go elsewhere.

Read more about securing your organization’s information in Document Security Solutions: Tools and Software Safeguarding Business Data.  

Document encryption: Protection inside and out

Effective document encryption can be the difference between a threat actor compromising private info or trying to make sense of a long line of seemingly random characters. By securing the keys used to encrypt and decrypt your documents, you can reduce the chances of improper use.

    Types of document encryption

  • Symmetric encryption, which uses the same key for both encrypting and decrypting, is often quicker, but less secure.
  • Asymmetric encryption, which uses different keys, is typically slower, but more secure.

3 benefits of document encryption

Secure sharing

Some level of encryption is built into most modern messaging or file-sharing applications. Unfortunately, a range of factors can limit their effectiveness. Dedicated document encryption gives you more confidence that only your intended party can access documents however you send them.

Data breach protection

Data breaches happen to all kinds of businesses, no matter how strong their overall cybersecurity may be. Using encryption in your document security presents a substantial hurdle for attackers to overcome. Even if they have a file, they may struggle to open or read it.

Better compliance

Depending on what your company does, you may be required to encrypt your documents when at rest, in transit, or both. If your field has seen updated regulations or industry guidance on data in recent decades, there’s a good chance it mentions encryption.

Read more about securing your documents in Document Encryption: Keeping Your Documents Safe in the Digital Age. 

Did You Know? One far-reaching way to modernize your business practices is by going paperless. Check out our primer on how to build a paperless office strategy to learn more.

Document compliance: Taking a proactive approach

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to document security. Following established document compliance measures can help you secure your data against improper access. It can also prepare you for potential audits and increase interoperability with partners.

    What document compliance means for your business

  • You may be encouraged to follow industry-standard practices for accountability.
  • You may limit your exposure to threat actors and potential fines.
  • Consult with legal and industry experts to determine your compliance requirements.

3 common compliance measures that affect documents

GDPR

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation enforces data privacy and security for all its citizens. Rather than create separate policies based on region, many businesses ensure all their electronic recordkeeping meets GDPR standards regardless of origin. Failure to abide by GDPR could result in penalties of up to tens of millions of euros.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act created regulations for companies that deal with US healthcare data. That includes definitions of what protected health information (PHI) is and how to handle it. Even if your company isn’t a healthcare provider, it may need to abide by HIPAA if it does any work with clients in the medical field.

SOC 2

Your organization’s controls for information security, availability, integrity, and other key measures are part of a SOC 2 report. Many companies looking for a potential service organization to partner with will require a SOC 2 report tendered within the last 12 months.

Read more about organizational standards in Document Compliance: 5 Security Standards to Know. 

Build your secure document management plan

Now that you know how document security can fit into your business, it’s time to take a step back. Are your organization’s document management practices helping you reach your goals? Whether you think it’s time for an overhaul or you just see some room for improvement, we have a free resource to help. Read our ebook, Document Management Best Practices for the Modern Business, for a start-to-finish guide to improving your processes.

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.

A Guide to Document Archiving Solutions:

Integrating Compliance, Automation, and Data Governance

Download Free Ebook