The departments within an enterprise generate a wide range of confidential documents including financial data, employee records, legal documents, business contracts and agreements, trade secrets and intellectual property, business, marketing and sales plans. Similarly, companies offering outsourcing solutions like legal transcription services may have to deal with diverse sensitive legal documents such as briefs, court proceedings, insurance documents and more. Even with advanced documentation solutions, reports say that document security is still a concern in organizations.
A recent report from Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network points out that it is critical for most organizations today to improve security practices surrounding confidential documents. The report is based on a global survey of more than 200 managers and information workers conducted in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017.
In the survey, 60% of respondents said they or someone they know have accidentally sent out a document they shouldn’t have. Less than one-third reported that their company has security solutions that are being effectively used to protect document security. Survey results also highlight that:
- 95% of respondents are concerned about the security of documents in their organization
- 75% say their firms create confidential documents on at least a weekly basis
- 89% believe document security risks are growing due to increased connectivity and the proliferation of mobile devices
- 43% reports lack of widely understood document security policies
- Only 16% say they effectively preserve confidential digital documents
The study also indicates that a wide range of information that could compromise businesses is vulnerable to inadvertent leaks, as well as intentional theft.
The lead author of the study says, “Organizations need to do more to set explicit document security policies and educate employees on available tools and best practices in securing the confidential information they handle.”
It is critical for any company to take proper care in transferring files, especially legal documents over the internet. Many digital transcription agencies now use secure FTP, 256 bit encryption technology, and even other software systems of clients’ choice to ensure safe file transfer.
