The Ultimate Guide to Document Security in Remote Teams

In the light of COVID-19, many companies have started working remotely. But how do you ensure document security and that your confidential information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands?

In this guide, we’ll discuss the best practices for securely managing sensitive documents in a remote work environment, from choosing the right tools to monitoring potential threats. Let’s get started.

The risks of mishandling sensitive documents

There are many risks when it comes to document security and managing sensitive documents remotely. Let’s go through the top 3 risks of mishandling sensitive documents:

1. Data breaches

The risk of data breaches is at a peak in a remote setting. But how do data breaches occur? Unintended data breaches take place when –

• An employee may access sensitive data from an unsecured network
• Hacking attacks take place through weak passwords
• Errors are caused by emails sent to a different address mistakenly

These data breaches can lead to the loss of reputation of organizations and even lead to further misuse of leaked information.

2. Weak access and authentication

Weak access and authentication can allow unauthorized access to sensitive information. Remote workers might log in using personal devices that may not have a strong security network. Some workers might even set easy passwords for sensitive documents.

Organizations must ensure strong access controls and authentication. This will help in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data.

3. Financial penalties

Mishandling sensitive documents can lead to severe financial penalties under laws. Penalties like GDPR (up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover), HIPAA (fines ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation), and PCI DSS (penalties from $5,000 to $100,000 per month for non-compliance).

Organizations might also face multiple lawsuits, and affected individuals might claim compensation, which can cost them a lot of money. Overall, the financial burden increases when sensitive documents are mishandled.

4. Insider threats

Remote work environments can increase the risk of insider threats. A 2024 IBM report states that 83% of data breaches involved internal actors. For example, disgruntled employees might screenshot sensitive information or download confidential files before leaving the company. However, that could also happen due to carelessness, such as employees failing to use a VPN outside the office (40%), failing to encrypt personal data (60%), and reusing passwords (53%).

10 Best practices for document security in remote teams

Before implementing any practices, organizations should conduct a thorough risk assessment to (1) evaluate current security measures, (2) identify potential vulnerabilities, (3) assess the impact of potential breaches, and (4) determine the required security level for different types of documents.

1. Document classification and access control

When managing sensitive data in remote teams, it is important to classify documents and restrict access to respective departments. Similar to how industries like medical device documentation follow strict guidelines for handling critical information, remote teams must establish tiered access to protect sensitive documents.

Classifying documents based on sensitivity, such as confidential (e.g., employee salary information, merger documents), public (e.g., marketing materials, press releases), internal (e.g., meeting minutes, project plans), or restricted (e.g., source code, trade secrets), helps ensure that only those who need it have access.

Not every employee needs access to every document; limited access helps keep sensitive information safe. This means payroll information is kept with the finance department and not shared with the marketing department. This is known as tiered access.

To implement tiered access, companies can use RBAC (role-based access control), a security model that gives access according to role in the organization. This reduces the risk of data leakage and helps maintain data security.

RBAC also helps to automate the process of granting access, making it easier to manage. It also helps to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the required documents.

Source: Cyberhoot

2. Regular training on data security protocols

Even with the best technology, the human element is often the weakest link in data security. Thus, regular training is essential to inform employees of potential threats and best practices.

For example, phishing incidents are increasing by the day. Employees must be trained to recognize suspicious emails and links, understand password security protocols, and safely manage company devices.

Training Best Practices:

• Monthly security awareness newsletters
• Quarterly phishing simulation exercises
• Annual security certification requirements
• Gamified learning modules with rewards for completion

Additionally, understanding financial processes, such as SaaS subscription billing, is crucial for preventing mistakes from happening.

When creating your training sessions, it’s important to cover key areas such as:

1. How to identify phishing emails
2. The importance of device encryption and regular updates
3. Best practices for password security, including the use of multi-factor authentication

By investing in regular training, team leaders can create a culture of security awareness among the employees.

3. VPNs and encryption

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are just a tunnel around your data. This helps keep your data safe from the prying eyes of hackers. Normally, when you use the internet, everything can be tracked easily. A VPN is especially useful when using public wifi in a cafe. Your information becomes more vulnerable to hackers when using public wifi.

In simple terms, a VPN keeps your online activity private and safe, whether you’re browsing, working, or sharing files remotely.  A VPN encrypts your data and hides your IP address.

Source: Keepersecurity

It also prevents your ISP (Internet Service Provider) from monitoring your online activity and selling it to third parties.

4. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA enhances the protection of sensitive documents by requiring users to provide two types of credentials. It is a security system where a user has to enter extra information other than the password to log in or access something.

It includes something the user knows, like a password, something the user has, like a smartphone or a code, and something they use, like facial recognition.

Source: Zoho

By implementing MFA, organizations can create a robust defense against hackers. Organizations using MFA report:

• 99.9% reduction in account compromise attempts
• 66% decrease in phishing incidents
• 50% reduction in identity theft cases

5. Use of secure file-sharing platforms

When sharing documents in a remote workplace, it is important to use safe file-sharing tools.

Secure document sharing and collaboration help to protect confidential information. This can be done through secure, cloud-based file-sharing services such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

Additionally, companies can use encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram to send sensitive data.

6. Enable secured email communication

Email is the oldest yet most dynamic form of professional communication, where task assignments, deliverables, and project execution occur.

At that time, it’s important that data is secured from brute force or any other cyber attacks. Gmail, Outlook, or any other best email client for multiple accounts should be utilized and implemented across the organization to ensure privacy and security for the company.

7. Limit email attachments

For years, emails have been the go-to platform for sending documents. But they are also one of the least secure. When you send an email attachment, it’s easy for it to be intercepted, accidentally forwarded, or saved on an insecure device. To minimize these risks, it’s a good idea to limit the use of email attachments and opt for secure file-sharing links instead.

It’s best to generate secured links from Google Drive and then attach them in an email. With Google Drive, you can control who has access and for how long.

For example, you can set a doc link to expire after a time on Google Drive.

This practice reduces the chance of sensitive documents falling into the wrong hands and keeps your inbox cleaner. By adopting these secure file-sharing practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of data leaks and ensure sensitive documents stay safe during collaboration.

8. Real-time monitoring tools

Real-time monitoring tools are a must-have when managing remote teams to avoid data breaches. These tools can track user activities, such as time spent on apps and document access patterns.

For example — if an employee suddenly accesses a large number of files from an unexpected location, it will send alerts immediately. By catching these anomalies early using software, teams can take action before an intruder gains deeper access.

9. Incident response plan

Despite the teams’ best efforts, security breaches still happen. That’s why having a clear incident response plan is crucial.

A good incident response plan typically includes the following:

• Identification: Recognize the breach through alerts from your monitoring tools
• Containment: Quickly isolate the affected systems or accounts to prevent further damage
• Eradication: Identify and remove the root cause of the breach, such as malware or compromised credentials
• Recovery: Restore affected systems and data from secure backups
• Lessons Learned: After the incident, conduct a post-mortem analysis to understand what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future

An incident response plan is only effective if it is easy to follow. Providing clear instructions for use to employees during a security breach can ensure quick, coordinated action.

10. Enforcing device encryption and regular updates

Device encryption is essential as it scrambles data, making it unreadable to unauthorized users. If a device is lost, encrypted data stays safe which reduces the risk of data breaches. This is important at remote workplaces where employees use personal devices to access sensitive documents.

Regular device updates ensure that all software, including operating systems and applications, is equipped with the latest security patches. Hackers often find vulnerabilities in software to attack and gain access to. By keeping devices updated, organizations mitigate these risks and protect sensitive documents.

11. Implementing remote wipe capabilities

Remote wipe is a security feature that allows you to wipe all data from a device remotely. It can work on various devices like laptops, phones, tablets, and even smartwatches. This process requires the device to be powered on and connected to the internet.

Source: Trio

Remote wipes can be implemented through mobile device management (MDM) solutions. You can choose to erase all data on a device or only specific company-related information.

Remote wipe is an important security measure that ensures confidential information is not compromised if a device falls into the wrong hands. Companies should implement this feature on all their devices.

Conclusion

Ensuring document security and managing sensitive documents while working remotely might seem daunting, but it’s achievable.

In summary, companies should ensure their devices are equipped with the necessary security tools, such as encryption and remote wipe, to protect their data. Employees should also be trained on the best practices when handling company documents.

Finally, companies should have a clear policy in place to regulate the use and sharing of confidential documents.

And that’s all about document security. I hope this article was helpful to you.