Why Is Data Security Critical in Document Management?

The Identity Theft Resource Center logged 781 data breaches in 2015, with the business sector experiencing an 8.1 percent rise in the frequency of events compared to the year prior. In fact, the analysts explained that this was the first time in four years that the business sector accounted for a higher rate of total incidents than any other, as the health care sector saw an 8.6 percent drop in its instances of information leaks and theft.

At the same time, the average cost of experiencing one of these events has grown significantly in each of the past several years, while the diversity of companies targeted and victimized has also increased quite a bit in that time. Leaders must ensure they are taking the right steps to defend their document management frameworks from threats. It appears that many are beginning to leverage cloud computing services for this exact purpose.

A shifting paradigm

Only a few years ago, the most common reason for not adopting cloud computing was related to security concerns. Suffice it to say that this paradigm has shifted immensely. Gartner recently reported that the need for stronger, more expert-led security practices has become the greatest reason for public sector firms to migrate their systems to the cloud, replacing other core drivers of adoption such as reducing capital expenditures and increasing IT flexibility.

The ways these agencies leverage cloud computing and manage service delivery are also expected to change, with a distinct rise in the number of contact centers incorporating virtual personal assistants.

“To improve efficiency and optimize business outcomes, government agencies are experimenting with smart machine technologies, such as virtual assistants, to deliver frontline services,” Gartner Research Director Rick Howard explained. “Advances in cognitive learning and natural language processing technologies have reached the stage of commercial viability that government CIOs can factor them into technology roadmaps.”

The private sector is increasingly steering in the direction of the cloud for security purposes, as managed services tend to add an extra layer of protection to document management solutions and core IT assets.

Increasingly critical

International Data Corporation recently reported that annual IT spending will reach $2.8 trillion globally by 2019. With so much money pouring into IT, specifically for modernizing processes through the implementation of progressive solutions, and more data being managed in digital formats, there has never been a greater need for adequate protection against threats to data security.

Businesses looking for document management solutions and support should always work to identify a provider that can help cover security needs as part of its core line of services. Failure to protect documents can quickly lead to hurt reputations, enormous direct financial losses, and a range of other dangerous fates. Organizations can effectively mitigate risks more proactively by investing in a solution that protects documents while making them more accessible to the right people.