Take care of your company security

Dear Editor In light of news surrounding the Paradise Papers I wonder how many companies across the length and breadth of the country are questioning how secure their documents are?

No one wants their business affairs aired like dirty laundry, but if documents are not stored securely, there is a risk of damaging their own – and their clients’ reputation.

The majority of data loss is the result of employees accessing confidential material and losing it or leaking it.

Naturally, organisations are not wanting to publicly claim their technology is woolly, nor do they want to put the onus on employees - or exemployees with grievances – and far too often cite the breach was due to a cyberattack and skilful hackers.

As documents have to be legally kept for seven years, as long as they are legible and in black and white they can become public knowledge, despite being saved electronically or printed off and stored in a locked vault.

We are never going to be able to store data that is 100% secure, but through creating several layers of security, database encryption, implementing distancing levels to files and separate and secure logins, organisations can mitigate confidential files coming into the wrong hands.

I have witnessed first-hand how other companies store confidential files which, at times, has been a horrifying discovery.

As good business practice, all business owners need to take stock of how secure their documents are, otherwise, they potentially run the risk of being lined up to appear on a future Panorama documentary. Stewart Wright YourDMS Ltd Wiltshire Maureen MacGregor Muthill