Every company deals with confidential documents. They are critical assets that businesses need to protect; otherwise, they can result in costly repercussions.
But many small business owners fail to do so. They tend to believe their company is unsusceptible to break-ins or cyber-attacks. Unfortunately, they are an easy target both on and offline. Criminals monitor them because of their lack of data storage and protection.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re dealing with electronic or hard copies. Your business can be vulnerable. Here are five ways to ensure document security in your small business.
Choose a Secure Physical and Digital Storage
You need to store your documents in a secure location. In doing so, you can consider these three options:
- Traditional Paper Storage: You can keep active business documents in filing cabinets or lockable drawers. But your business may have a significant paper trail. In this case, you can choose to pay for an off-site secure storage facility.
- Digital Storage: If you don’t want to invest in traditional paper storage, your business can go digital. With a digital repository, you can secure and access your documents anywhere. There’s no need for any physical space to store your documents.
- Scan On-Demand Storage: Despite going digital, some businesses need or prefer to retain physical copies of their documents. Scan on-demand storage is an excellent solution. A company can store your physical documents off-site. But if you need to retrieve them, they will scan and send you an electronic copy.
Note that whatever method you choose, always keep accessibility and security in mind.
Install Security Systems
Your business may decide to go paperless. Even so, you have to install a solid security system for your offices. The last thing you want is for anyone to break into your physical computers and have access to your electronic data.
There are various choices out there, depending on your specific needs. But it’s best to opt for a wireless security system with motion sensors and smart locks. Even if you’re not at the office 24 hours a day, they can alert you of any intrusion in real-time.
Limit Access to Physical and Digital Data
Not all your employees should have access to every file. Only those staff who need the data to accomplish their job should have authorization to storage cabinets and storerooms. You can reinforce security with cameras to discourage unauthorized users in these places.
The same principle applies to digital documents. Use passwords and encryption to control access to confidential information. Also, don’t underestimate basic protections like a firewall or antivirus software. They can help ensure that only authorized users can retrieve data from your systems.
Create an Information Destruction Policy
You’ll need to dispose of unnecessary information at some point. But you have to create policies for how long you should retain them and the safest method to implement. Take time to know the laws about this matter.
Your policy must comply with all state and federal regulations. For starters, you can stay secure with paper shredding of sensitive documents, or you can use a confidential waste bin.
Your company can be held liable if any data breach occurs, but you can limit threats and limit liabilities with proper document destruction.
Conduct Data Security and Management Training
All your security measures are pointless if your staff doesn’t know about your internal safety-related processes. Thus, be sure to conduct data security and management training for all your employees.
They should understand the importance of confidentiality and how employees can minimize risks with essential data protection. Note that they are your first line of defense in securing your business information. If they are not equipped, they can be a vulnerable source for data leaks.
The Bottom Line
Establishing security in your business may come with upfront costs. But it’s a long-term investment for your company. Note that potential security threats are lurking around businesses. You can’t be careless about the safety of your documents, employees, and customers.
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