Five Simple Ways To Collaborate Without Data Loss

Five Simple Ways To Collaborate Without Data Loss

Not so long ago, it was common for people to store important documents and files in a filing cabinet. This practice was considered secure as filing cabinets had a lock and only the people who had a key could open it. However, as time as gone by, things have changed. To improve security, people and companies have now turned to storing important documents online.

Sadly, be it you store files offline or online, there still is a possibility of losing sensitive data if certain rules are not enforced. To help you secure important documents and files, here are five simple rules to consider implementing into your collaborative policies.

Share Important Files and Documents in Data Rooms

In today’s paperless society, it is commonplace to receive dozens of attachments containing sensitive information in a day. And while email is highly secure and effective, it is still easy to mishandle sensitive information and attachments. Can you count the number of times you have received emails from people only to get a follow-up email saying “please disregard prior mail”? The chances are that this happens quite often. Right? To minimize the likelihood of this happening, consider setting up a policy that clusters relevant documents, with regard to priority and importance, in specific files within a data room. Doing this helps minimize the chances of sending important files and documents to the wrong people.

Restrict Access to Crucial Files

To improve security when it comes to sharing files, it is advisable that you consider limiting the number of people who have access to your files. The more the number of people having access to your files, the higher the chance of your files falling into the wrong hands suggests Merger Technology. It is important that you consider restricting access to some files for some people within your company. Doing this will ensure two things: a lowered likelihood of your data getting leaked to the public or to a competitor, and, in the event there’s a leak, you will have a specific group of suspects – making investigations easier and faster.

Use Strong Passwords

A weak password can be hacked quite easily. It is, therefore, advisable that you consider setting up a protocol that requires passwords to have a number, a capitalized letter, a symbol, and a minimum of 6 characters. Also, consider changing your password after every 90 days as this could also lower the likelihood of it being hacked. If you run a company, have your staff do the same and make it known to them that they should not share the details of their passwords with anyone. While this may sound silly, the truth is that many people still give their passwords to others without even thinking twice.

Back-Up All Your Files

If you are still using a filing cabinet or an online file sharing space, it is advisable that you create duplicates for emergency purposes. If you store all your files and documents online, then make sure that you have an alternate way to access the most important files – this could be in a data room, a cloud service, or in a file in your email account. Here are some tips.

Monitor Spam Messages

Despite what many people think, phishing e-mails are still one of the most popular ways hackers gain access to a company’s operating system. Just by sending a mail from a trusted name or company, they are able to encourage a user to click on a provided link. When the user clicks the link, they unknowingly download malware that attaches themselves to the user’s computer. Once a malware has attached itself to the user’s computer, the hacker gains access to the user’s usernames, passwords, and other things. To avoid this, consider educating your staff about suspicious emails and what they look like, and advise them to always delete them before even clicking on any link or downloading any pictures in the email previewer.

To learn more about how to protect important information, Click Here.