Officially become the year of remote work, the year that changed everything as far as traditional corporate models go.
According to the International Labor Association, the relevance of remote work practices has increased significantly since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many have seen the advantages of such a work model. As 55 percent of employers anticipate most of their employees to continue working remotely even after the end of the pandemic.
New document management and collaboration tools make the adoption of such flexible practices much easier. Digital document security, however, has to be taken in consideration. The introduction of the right workflows and safety practices are both crucial to ensure the security of data being utilized remotely.
If you haven’t examined and strengthened your digital document security protocols yet, the time is right to consider such an audit. Making your safety policies is far from difficult and here are a few strategies that ensure effective remote work without added risks.
Digital Document Security Basics: The Right Type of Malware Protection
The right digital document security practices start with some very simple steps. Making sure all remote workers use a high quality, reliable antivirus and malware protection solution is one of the first steps towards protecting sensitive data.
Most companies have powerful, corporate edition malware protection products.
Ensuring the same level of protection in the homes of remote workers is more difficult.
Issuing company devices for at-home work is one of the ways to make sure everyone has access to the right tools. While buying the devices and equipping them with malware protection software is far from cheap, the investment will pay off. In addition, once the right products are chosen, there will be no need for additional purchases in the near future.
The Right Document Management System
High quality online document storage and choosing the right kind of document management system will both play a role in making remote work safe.
Contemporary cloud-based solutions protect the data within the archive in more than one way.
For a start, different permission levels can be assigned to different employee groups. As a result, remote workers will have access solely to the document needed to handle their projects and tasks in an optimal way.
In addition, document management systems do version control and they maintain detailed logs of data access. You will have information on who has accessed a particular file and what kind of work they’ve done. This audit trail makes it very easy to investigate a security breach and its potential source.
Organization-Wide Security and Collaboration Protocols
Did you know that in weak passwords are still a top cause of corporate data breaches?
Sometimes, the simplest of mistakes create perfect opportunities and conditions for the loss or the theft of crucial information.
To reduce such risks and minimize the potential of human error in terms of digital document security, you have to introduce and enforce organization-wide security protocols.
From password creation standards to collaboration guidelines, you shouldn’t leave anything to chance. Once the protocols are in place, you’ll also be responsible for informing remote workers and making sure they’ve received proper training to adhere to the standards you’ve set.
Network Security and VPNs
Remote workers could also endanger the integrity of sensitive data by relying on insecure networks to log in, collaborate and do their job.
A part of the organization-wide security protocol should focus on the utilization of the right internet networks, as well as company-issued virtual private networks (VPNs).
Obviously, remote workers should know that connecting via a public network is a no-go. At home, they need to be equipped with high quality routers that are updated to the latest password (the longer and more complex, the better).
VPNs can also be tremendously beneficial, especially in instances when no other option but a public network is available. Public networks often have whatsoever no encryption. Even if they are, cracking passwords isn’t too difficult.
When the right kind of VPN is being utilized, all data communicated via the network will be encrypted. Hence, remote workers can rest assured that even if they’re accessing highly sensitive data, there’s no risk involved.
Only Company-Issued Solutions
Do you let remote workers use their own email provider or public cloud storage when collaborating with the office or handling their tasks? Think again about such practices as they create various digital document security vulnerabilities.
Corporate services for email, messaging and file transfers are the only way to go if you want to maintain the integrity of your database.
Luckily, such solutions are becoming more scalable and cost-efficient than ever before. Regardless of company size of field of operation, you’ll discover at least a few solutions that will meet your needs while also falling within your budget.
Remote work provides excellent opportunities for company growth but you need to have standards and protocols in place. The sooner you start emphasizing document security and the best practices connected to it, the smaller the risk of a data breach is going to be.