Protecting Sensitive Documents

While technological advancements have made it easier to store and handle data, securing sensitive documents is still an essential element of the security strategy of any business. Whether the files are digitized or are hard copies it is essential to secure them from unauthorized access to reduce the damage caused by data breaches.

The most common way to secure files is through password protection. The file is essentially a mess of letters and numbers to anyone who does not have the decryption key, but allows modifications to be made after the password is entered. This is particularly beneficial for files with multiple users who regularly modify them such as forms, surveys, or reports.

A rights management tool can be used to restrict editing printing, downloading and editing. This is especially useful for documents that are shared with contractors, freelancers and third-party agencies. In these cases, it’s hard to control who can access the documents.

It’s also important to reinforce your security policies and make them available to employees when dealing with sensitive documents. Make sure employees are aware that adhering to these standards is not just a requirement, but an integral part of their job. Create a process to ensure that workers who quit or transfer to another department do not have access to sensitive information. This includes terminating their passwords, obtaining access keys or ID cards, and deleting files when they’re not needed anymore.