In an increasingly digital world, data security and compliance are paramount concerns for businesses across various industries. Document scanning, the process of converting physical documents into digital ones, offers significant advantages when it comes to ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, as well as protecting your sensitive business information. Document scanning provides businesses a peace of mind and a solid foundation of management for their sensitive and confidential information.
- Enhancing Encryption & Data Protection Measures
Right off the bat, when documents are scanned, they are encrypted to provide an additional layer of security. Encryption transforms the data into an unreadable format, making it extremely difficult for unauthorized users to access or decipher the data. Encrypted digital files, combined with secure file transfer protocols and secure storage solutions, strengthen data protection measures and safeguard sensitive information against potential threats. If your paper documents are just sitting around, really anyone can access them, leaving your business at risk. Don’t like the thought of a document scanning company having access to your documents? A qualified document scanning provider, like Recordsforce, should have safety measures and protocols in place. Recordsforce is SSAE-18 SOC II certified, meaning we are audited through a review, measurement and comparison on controls within a service organization; a standard put forth by the Auditing Standards Board (ASB) of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The SSAE-18 includes a complete review of a data center’s controls, processes and design, operational controls and policies, and the management’s description of system or service to a professional standard conducted by a third-party auditor.
- Implementing Access Controls & User Permissions
So now your documents are securely scanned and placed into a cloud-based, secure document management system. These systems offer robust granular access controls and user permissions, allowing businesses to define who can view, edit or share specific documents. This helps prevent unauthorized data breaches and ensures compliance with data protection regulations. We know you can’t say the same about the paper documents sitting in filing cabinets and shelves in your basement.
- Secure Document Sharing & Collaboration
Along with being able to control who has access to your documents, with a document management system, businesses can share files securely, reducing the risk of authorized access or interception during transmission. Authorized users can access, review, edit, and collaborate on digital documents without the need for physical copies, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality throughout the process. All of which is imperative in today’s business environment.
- Audit Trails & Document Tracking
Compliance with regulatory standards often requires businesses to maintain thorough audit trails and document tracking. Document scanning and management solutions offer features such as version control and timestamping, making it easier to track document changes and activities. Easily view any changes or revisions to your documents and who made those changes. Users who make changes or add/delete new items are all authenticated and logged and available for reporting. These features contribute to a transparent and auditable document management process, assisting organizations in meeting compliance requirements and simplifying regulatory audits.
- Simple Data Retention & Disposal
Compliance regulations also often dictate how long you are required to hang on to your documents. Document management software, like Recordsforce Cloud, has built in retention schedules and disposal processes, while also providing a centralized digital repository. It becomes easier to manage and organize your documents based on retention schedules and apply consistent data disposal practices. This easily streamlines data retention, makes sure you are following proper data disposal guidelines, reduces the risk of non-compliance, and ensures your data is retained only for as long as necessary.
- Mitigating Risk of Document Loss & Damage
Last but not least, by utilizing a document scanning provider, you are reducing the reliance on physical documents, which are susceptible to loss, damage, theft and authorized access. Digital documents minimize the potential risks associated with their storage and handling, since they can instead be stored securely in password-protected systems, encrypted drives, or cloud-based platforms. You can rest easy knowing that if a natural disaster occurs, or your office is broken into, your sensitive data and documents are protected.
Document scanning and management services are a powerful tool for businesses seeking to enhance the security of their data and documents. By converting physical documents into digital ones, organizations mitigate the risk of document loss and ensure protection against unauthorized access. Along with this, document scanning services simplify secure document sharing and easily facilitate compliance with data retention and disposal regulations. Embracing the paperless life not only enhances data security, but also contributes to streamlined operations, improved productivity and the overall success of businesses in our now digital and data-driven world.