Top Office Documents at Risk and How to Keep Them Safe from Prying Eyes

You have locks on your office and an alarm system to protect your business from intruders, but are you leaving the doors unlocked for someone on the inside to access confidential documents? While much of the attention in recent years has been focused on cybersecurity, 90% of businesses had a security breach involving hardcopy documents inside the office.

The top five hardcopy documents most targeted by thieves include:

• Employee information
• Financial information
• Payroll information
• Intellectual property
• Client information

“It normally takes about 18 months for most businesses to realize that something (information or an asset) is missing.” – FBI

Why Digitization Makes Sense

Paper can put your business in jeopardy in more ways than one. Not only does it create the potential for data loss, it’s also costing you money and preventing your business from reaching its fullest potential.

While it’s true that some documents may need to be printed and saved as hard copies, most can be digitized. Increased security is a significant benefit of digitization, but it also offers many other benefits for your business too.

Here are five ways digitization can benefit your business:

1. Improve data security – When your digitized documents are stored in the cloud, security parameters like password protection can be set so only authorized personnel can access the information they need.
2. Secure Data Backup – In the event of a disaster like fire, flood, or other natural disaster, paper documents can be lost forever. Studies have shown that only 6% of businesses that suffer a catastrophic data loss without a recovery plan survive longer than two years after the event. Digital document management and cloud storage keeps data safe, secure and restorable even if your computers are lost in the event.
3. Reduce Costs –You’ll require less storage space and filing cabinets when you digitize your documents, and you’ll spend less on consumables like paper and toner.
4. Save Time – Digital documents are easier to manage, eliminating the need for employees to spend their time printing, sorting, filing and searching for files. Digitizing documents will also allow for prompt retrieval of information when you need it, which is especially important in highly regulated industries. 
5. Easier collaboration. – Your employees can access their information anytime, anywhere when it’s stored in the cloud. It will be easier for your team will to work together even when they’re on the road or working from a remote location.

How to Successfully Make the Transition

The transition to digital is a key move for the future success of many companies, yet can be daunting and challenging. Lack of awareness of the work required and resources to execute an effective plan can hamper efforts. Making the wrong choices on the hardware, software or the people who will manage it could result in a highly-fragmented outcome. Challenges like these are why many companies find it beneficial to consult with an expert when making the digital transition.

If you’re considering making the leap from paper documents to a digital solution, contact us at Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office. We’ve helped many of our satisfied clients make a successful transition to a digital environment. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and show you all the benefits a digital document solution has to offer!

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