enOver 60 percent of sales departments have transitioned to entirely digital documentation processes. That’s great news, since digital document makes life easier for your team, helping them to work more efficiently. However, it can also pose security risks if you don’t have the right digital solutions in place.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the key aspects of document security and detail how you can level up your organization’s document security practices.
What Is Document Security?
The term “document security” refers to a collection of procedures, standards and protocols set up to protect documents. These standards cover important elements of document security, such as how documents are stored, shared, and discarded, as well as other factors like controlling access to key documents.
The primary goals behind document and data security are to protect information from falling into the wrong hands and ensure compliance with the latest regulatory requirements.
The Importance of Digital Document Security
Digital document security is especially vital in 2024, as the majority of businesses are fully digitizing all of their documentation and document management processes. Keep in mind, too, that business documents are the most exposed type of data. Protecting important documents may seem like a big challenge (and it can be), but there are some noteworthy reasons to prioritize digital document security:
- Increased customer retention and revenue: Organizations that only use manual documentation risk losing 44 percent of customers and 51 percent of revenue. Put simply, people want to work with businesses that take security seriously — and that includes digitizing documents and securing them properly.
- Increased productivity: Digital documents and a robust digital documentation security process allow for more efficient processing. Over half of surveyed IT professionals agree that faster document processing is a top benefit of digital documentation.
- Increased collaboration: Solid digital document security protocols ensure the appropriate people can access specific documents, allowing for easier collaboration and idea sharing.
Elements of Digital Document Security
You know the advantages of robust digital document security. What does a robust plan look like, though? Here are some of the most important elements that make up a solid digital document security protocol:
- Compliance with regulatory standards, such as the GDPR (in the EU) and HIPAA (in the US)
- Ensuring the right person has access to the correct documents (a role-based security model supporting single sign-on protocols can help with this)
- Confidentiality and privacy protocols that mask sensitive information
- Secure document and unstructured data storage
Helpful Tools
With so many organizations shifting toward digital document storage and prioritizing digital document security, you can use many different tools to create and stick to a well-designed security plan.
The following are some of the most effective solutions you might want to start utilizing:
Shared Cloud
The cloud plays a significant role in resolving information security challenges. Shared cloud storage is a cost-effective solution that keeps each customer’s data stored in a separate instance on the same hardware, ensuring only those who should have access to it can read and revise documents.
Private Cloud
Private cloud storage offers even greater security benefits for those who are concerned about storing and managing sensitive data. All of the hardware and software that makes up a private cloud environment are dedicated exclusively to the organization using it, meaning they may also have more control over the security standards that protect any stored documents.
E-sign Solutions
E-sign solutions, such as DocuSign and Acrobat Sign, can also help you keep your documents and data more secure. With electronic signatures, you experience the advantages of advanced encryption and decryption, which reduce the risk of forgery and unauthorized access and modifications.
Document Tracking and Auditing
Document tracking and auditing tools make it easier for you and your team to control and keep an eye on your documents.
These solutions produce audit trails that allow you to track changes, identify users, and seamlessly retrieve documents as needed. They allow for more efficient document signing, too, which helps with productivity without sacrificing safety and security.
Password Protection
Password protection is, of course, another critical component of an effective document security protocol. With password protection solutions — primarily when they’re combined with multi-factor authentication — you can ensure that only authorized individuals have access to certain documents.
Automation
A document automation solution allows you to work more quickly while also keeping document security a top priority. For example, you can use these software solutions to automate document delivery, automate and ensure adherence to compliance policies, and automate masking and rule-based printing.
Document Management Software
Document management software helps you to digitize your documents and keep them as secure as possible. Digtial files are relatively easy to secure at scale, using document management tools.
This software also helps you to work more efficiently, access essential information faster, and ensure everyone who should have access to document and data files can get to them easily.
Benefits of Securing Digital Documents
Do you need more motivation to implement a digital document management system at your organization? If so, keep these additional benefits in mind:
Build Trust
People want to work with businesses they know they can trust — especially when those businesses process sensitive information.
If your clients or customers know that you use digital document security solutions — such as reliable document management software — they will likely feel more confident in you and your processes. As a result, they’ll be more inclined to continue working with you and recommend your products or services to their friends as well.
Minimize Costs
Superior security reduces the risk of a data breach and the expenses associated with it (including lawyer fees). If you’re on the fence about going digital and focusing more heavily on document security, the idea of losing money might be enough to change your mind and update your business rules.
Safeguard Confidential Information
Last but not least, digital document security solutions allow you to safeguard confidential information and protect it from falling into the wrong hands. There’s always potential for human error. However, you can significantly reduce that risk when you automate your document workflows and work with technology vendors that follow industry and regulatory standards.
