Many organizations have embraced remote and hybrid workstyles as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While remote work structures can lead to increased productivity, they can also lead to increased cyber risk. Since 2019, ransomware attacks have risen by 62% worldwide, and by a staggering 158% in North America alone, according to cybersecurity firm SonicWall’s 2021 report. This rise is in part due to the pandemic-prompted spike in internet usage as many shifted to remote working. That’s why cybersecurity is more important for your business than ever.
To ensure that your teams are accessing company data and documents securely, you must understand how remote structures impact your data security, monitor the technology in use, develop target strategies and training exercises to educate employees on cyber safety, and partner with the right software providers.
Sound a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry! This blog post will provide you with best practices for combating risk and protecting your data.
1. Train Your Employees
Mitigating digital risk starts with educating your employees. Organizations that fail to provide their teams with the knowledge and tools to recognize suspicious activity face higher chances of cyberattacks.
Remote and in-office teams alike should undergo basic security training to recognize suspicious files, links, emails, and more. Training can be conducted annually or in small modules throughout the year to help keep security top of mind.
2. Create Fool-Proof Authentication Strategies
Document management, workflow automation, and other cloud-based tools for collaboration have become key solutions for remote teams. In order to maintain a secure virtual environment when using these solutions, it’s crucial to implement proper authentication strategies.
Identity verification is critical for employees collaborating virtually from separate locations. It can help prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to company applications and data as employees work from home. It’s a best practice to establish two-factor authentication controls for applications and account access as well as security controls, like data encryption, within any cloud-based platforms utilized by your teams.
3. Maintain Backups in the Cloud
A digital document repository enables easy search and retrieval and backups important business files. However, it’s not enough to simply maintain a digital document repository. You need a secure digital document repository if you want to keep your company information safe and out of the wrong hands.
Look for cloud document management software that is encrypted for maximum safety. The best platforms also offer secure user privileges, document-level security, and tracking to see who accesses documents and what action they take on them, such as adding a note.
The best document management systems make regular audits easier to handle by storing files within a centralized, secure cloud repository, helping to promote accountability and security. For auditors requiring access to documents, a temporary security pass can be granted to ensure they have what they need – regardless of where they are located.
Implementing a robust, well-encrypted cloud platform is the key to secure, electronic collaboration and data storage. The right platform will offer multiple levels of security to protect your employees and organization from a variety of digital threats.
4. Choose a Software Partner that Prioritizes Security
The right software partner will offer secure services and solutions tailored to your exact needs. At MetaSource, we maintain secure facilities that are PCI-DSS, SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant to ensure that customer data is always protected while in our possession. We also offer a variety of secure, remote-friendly solutions, such as MetaStor. MetaStor is a powerful, cloud-based solution to document management, offering seamless integration with other workflow automation applications and remote collaboration tools. Customizable to your needs, this software empowers your remote teams with the tools and security they need to safely collaborate from afar.
Contact us to learn more about secure document and data solutions for remote and in-office teams.