With data breaches becoming more and more common, it is more important than ever to pick the most secure cloud storage option for your document management system. 

According to Surfshark, The United States saw the largest total number of breached users. With over 952.8M accounts being breached in 2021, at an increase of 3.4% growth, or 31M, year over year.

And it’s not just the huge corporations being targeted either, as 28% of data breaches affected small business victims.

This topic is one that you cannot overthink given its importance to the security and protection of your company.

Only by selecting a secure cloud storage option will your documents be protected and safely accessed only by those with the correct credentials and permission. However, it can be tough to select a truly secure cloud storage system unless you understand what to look for in terms of safety features.

Which is why we’ll be covering how cloud storage options work and how you can keep your documents safe below.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Is Cloud Storage Safe: Overview And What Makes It Secure
• What Cloud Storage For Documents Is Most Secure For You
• Document Management Solutions
• Maintaining Data Security For Document Management
• How Inkit Render Helps Solve Key Cloud Storage Security Challenges For Document Management

Keep reading to learn all of this and more. 

Is Cloud Storage Safe: Overview And What Makes It Secure

Cloud storage allows you to save, access, store, and edit your data through the Internet.

Cloud storage vendors operate data storage centers that you pay for as you go, allowing you to access your data, anytime, anywhere. You can even customize your experience based on your needs.

Secure cloud storage operations offer cloud security. 

According to FinancesOnline, the top cloud security concern for organizations has to do with data loss or leakage, followed by identifying and responding to security incidents, and managing multiple cloud providers.

Cloud security includes a variety of apps, policies, software, and technology that are designed to protect your data stored online. This protection covers both on-premise data centers and the cloud infrastructure. These various security measures work together to ensure that your data is completely secure from all fronts. 

One of the most common measures is account security. Account security ensures that only approved officials have access to your cloud account. There are even administrator controls that you can assign to certain team members for maximum convenience and safety.

This way, only authorized people will be able to access or edit sensitive documents.

Secure cloud storage also offers various types of encryption.

Encryption involves transforming your readable data into an unreadable format before it is transferred to the cloud. This algorithm-based security ensures that your data is protected in case it is hacked. There are various levels of cloud encryption, but you can encrypt files yourself to prevent tampering.

From a more physical standpoint, cloud storage vendors offer various types of redundancy. The purpose of redundancy is to ensure that your cloud storage is always backed up, even if there is a power outage in the area of the cloud storage vendor your data is hosted at. In other words, your content will still be accessible, even if there is a blackout affecting the area.

Additionally, these cloud storage security measures are matched with your own personal security measures. For example, you can further encrypt documents before uploading them to the cloud. You can also set up your document management system so that only certain users have access to the data.

Altogether, these features create an incredibly secure cloud management system. 

For example, Inkit’s Render document generation platform comes jam-packed with security features like:

• AES 256 end-to-end encryption - So that all the personal identifiable information will be automatically encrypted on the document management system.
• Role-based access control - Only authorized roles can access specific folders and documents.
• Document expiry and self-destruction - Documents can be set to “self destruct” automatically after a number of views, days, or on a fixed date.
• 2FA support - Authentication methods in which a user is granted access only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to the authentication mechanism.
• Full audit log - Track every event and action made by your users and systems inside Render.
• Live document alerts - Staff responsible for your data security can be notified immediately when your most important documents are rendered or viewed.
• And more.

You do not have to worry about your data being breached or leaked. All the while, your data is easily accessed from anywhere around the globe, resulting in more convenience and organization.

What Cloud Storage For Documents Is Most Secure For You?

Since you cannot overthink finding the most secure cloud storage option for your documents, there are some factors to take into consideration whenever you are deciding on your cloud storage options. Starting with your most basic requirements is a good place to begin.

For example, consider your budget and required features. 

The more features you need, the more expensive the storage option will be. Once you have a good idea of your budget and requirements, you can find the best individual provider based on safety. 

The infrastructure and security of the cloud management system are a must as well. Ideally, you want the storage options to be as secure and advanced as possible while still being within your budget. Specifically, consider user control features, encryption, and double verification to ensure that the document management system you select is secure.

While you are considering cloud options for documents, you should take into account the different document management solutions available. 

Digital archiving 

One popular option is digital archiving and automated deletion. 

This allows you or your company to go paperless without risking the loss of any important documents. It also enhances the organization and structure of your digital storage. This security option is popular for law firms.

Web portals 

Web portals are another popular option. 

Web portals are a great option if you need to share your information and content with clients. At the same time, web portals are designed to share sensitive information in a secure and trustworthy way.

Role-based user permissions 

Whether you are interested in digital archiving or web portals, there can be role-based user permissions involved. This permission will allow certain users more access than others. 

This is especially helpful for web portals. It ensures that your clients can only see the content applicable to them, and not data involving your company or another client.

Automated backup 

Some organizations do not need as extensive document management solutions. 

For example, automated backup may be a good choice if you simply want to make sure all of your content is protected in the case of a storm, data breach, or a natural disaster.

These different document management solutions are helpful for a number of reasons. 

They can help you regulate mobile networks, manage remote workers, convert your company from paper to digital, and standardize your organization. There is likely a solution for every document management problem you face!

Wondering what else you should be taking into consideration when it comes to document management systems?

You should also ask yourself if:

• The system meets your requirements in terms of features.
• If there is customization so it can apply to your brand.
• If it integrates with your other system and company tools.
• What file formats the document management system supports.
• How many users and documents can the solution support.
• What is the price range of the software and is it worth the value.
• What is the vendor’s service level agreement and how they provide support.

For a detailed breakdown of these questions with examples, see our full guide on questions to evaluate document generation software.

Maintaining Data Security For Document Management

Regardless of what kind of document management solution you prefer, it’s important to understand how you maintain data security for document management. 

Because cloud storage options provide numerous security features, maintaining data security is not too difficult if you know what to do.

Let’s say that you have a secure type of document management system, but you fail to utilize the two-factor authentication. Because of this fact, someone could easily hack into one of your administrator’s accounts by typing in the administrator’s password. If a hacker gets in this way, it is not because of failure on the cloud’s side. 

In fact, according to UpGuard, the most common causes of data breaches and leaks include:

• Misconfigured software settings.
• Social engineering.
• Recycled passwords.
• Physical theft of hardware devices.
• Use of default passwords.
• And more.

Simply having a secure DMS is not enough. You also have to take the initiative to employ a number of best practices to keep your cloud storage options safe.

How to keep your document data secure on the cloud 

Be aware of the numerous security features that your storage option provides. This may include two-factor authentication, administrative roles, or additional encryption. Knowing these security features will allow you to apply them on your end to ensure that only those with permission can access your content.

It’s also a good idea to have a thorough plan in terms of backup and organization. Failing to refresh or upload new content is a way to get behind and fail to benefit from the advantages of cloud storage. In other words, have a systematic approach to document storage and preservation so that all documents are protected and uploaded correctly.

More so, thoroughly understand users and their roles. Certain users in your company will not have access to all content, whereas others may have access to most. Use your user’s credentials to determine which workers need what data to maximize organization and security.

Where To Go From Here

Hope this guide to cloud storage safety helped!

To recap, cloud storage is a great way to keep your sensitive documents and information safe.

It’s essential you take precautions with your own devices and security best practices to keep your cloud storage secure. Turn on 2FA, use secure end-to-end encryption, apply role-based access controls, and monitor the audit log from time to time. With this in mind, your sensitive documents should stay safe.

However, another important when looking at cloud storage safety has to do with the document management system software you use.

So, if you’re wondering what you should look for in a cloud document management solution, be sure to read our guide on evaluating document management solutions!