Document security has become big business, it is often considered part of the cyber security industry which has an annual revenue of $3.6 billion. The main purpose of this industry is to protect personal and commercial information from being stolen, identity theft occurs to 0.8% of Australians every year and the figure is growing.
Why You Need To Have A Document Security System
Despite steps toward a digital society that foregoes paperwork, the reality is that millions of pieces of paper are produced annually. These can be tickets at the till, credit card offers, or even bills that still come through the post.
The problem is that all these pieces of paper have personal information on them. They may also have commercial information. When someone puts the information together they can identify an individual or business and gain access to enough information to steal their identity.
That causes a huge amount of stress to the individual or business involved and is likely to end up costing the finance industry thousands. Securing the documents or destroying them effectively is essential.
- Get A Shredder
The first step in the document security system is to take a look at the available paper shredders. You need a high-quality one to ensure any documents which are shredded cannot be put back together. That means a shredder with a fine cut and one that cuts vertically and horizontally.
Having a shredder isn’t enough. You need to use it. That means every day the paperwork that doesn’t need to be kept goes through the shredder. You can sort paperwork to shred that which has personal details and chuck the others. However, if you make a mistake when sorting for shredding you could still supply personal information to anyone with bad intentions
It’s easier and safer to shred everything that doesn’t need to be kept.
- Paper Storage
Some paperwork still needs to be kept. This is particularly true regarding tax information and finance agreements. It’s a good idea to scan these onto the system as a backup, in case the original is misplaced.
The physical copy will need to be filed in a secure facility. This ensures only authorized personnel can get to the paperwork and verify any information.
In most cases the paperwork is simply stored and then when the time is right, it’s destroyed. But, you do need to keep it securely in case it’s needed.
- Digital Systems
Documents stored digitally still need to be protected. The best option is to choose a cloud service that allows your documents to be encrypted. This will make them worthless if the files are stolen.
Digital systems allow easy access across the globe but the security in place must be able to resist hackers and other assaults. It should be constantly reviewed and refreshed if necessary.
Hackers come up with new tools all the time, allowing them to access confidential information. You need to make sure your storage provider is doing everything they can to keep your documents secure.
- Password renewal
A big part of any document security system is access. You need to carefully control who can access the secure storage area, the fewer the number of people the better.
Alongside this, anyone with access should have a set period of password changes. Changing them frequently makes it harder for them to be hacked or for the users to inadvertently give away a password to someone.
It’s a standard security measure on all types of systems and is particularly important if you’re dealing with personal documents.
- Have A Log Of Edits
It is essential that the security system automatically logs edits made to any digital document. It’s very difficult to edit an original paperwork document without it being noticed. It’s much easier to edit digital ones, especially if you have access.
That’s why, to avoid misunderstandings or any other issues, the system should automatically log who has accessed a document and when, it should also note any edits and who made them. This will deter people from interfering or changing documents when they shouldn’t.
This should also include regular audits of who has accessed and edited documents. If you don’t check the reasons behind access and alterations there is little point in having a document security system because it won’t stop anything from happening.
Final Thoughts
Security of personal information rests with the individual and the business involved. It’s essential that all parties are aware of the risks and minimize the use of personal information wherever possible. This will help to reduce the likelihood of data and document theft.
