Do You Really Have Control Over Your Corporate Data?

Managing corporate data has never been more difficult. Your business information exists in both digital and in hardcopy format and may be spread out across your entire enterprise, making centralized control of your data a challenge. Once the sheer number and variety of cyber and identity theft threats is factored in, it becomes apparent that your information is constantly at risk of being compromised. Because of this, preventing unauthorized access to your business data should be a top priority.

All of your data is valuable

You’re right to be concerned about the security of your electronic data. Network breaches are on the rise and can permanently cripple your company. Your backup assets are also a desirable target for criminals given that one backup tape can hold untold amounts of valuable, confidential information. Preventing theft of your backup media means implementing a data protection plan that incorporates a professional media storage solution. When stored within a vault that features digital surveillance systems and 24/7 monitoring, tapes that contain important backup data can be preserved well into the future.

But not all of your business information is digital. Your paper records are just as valuable as your electronic documents. In addition to containing sensitive and confidential data, hardcopy documents may also contain information vital to the continuity of your business. Tracking the access and movement of these paper records can be especially difficult if not properly managed in the first place.

First, it’s important to assess how your documents are currently stored. If you have inactive or archival records stored in a file room or other area of your office, are they really secure? One problem with maintaining inactive business records onsite is that documents that have historical or permanent significance likely contain personally identifiable information belonging to clients or staff—or include proprietary corporate data. Although records may be kept in a locked room, that doesn’t entirely eliminate the possibility that their contents may be improperly accessed by either an employee or an outsider.

It’s also very difficult to maintain control over documents that have been retrieved through authorized access channels. Records can often be checked out over a period of days or weeks without any oversight to ensure that they are properly returned and refiled. After a while, the person who originally retrieved the document may not even remember that she did so. It’s also important to remember that documents left onsite are vulnerable to any disaster that impacts your primary business location.

How offsite storage increases records management capabilities

By storing documents offsite in a records storage facility, you ensure that hardcopy data is continuously secured and monitored. In addition to intrusion protection systems and video surveillance monitoring, the combination of barcode labeling of records and tracking within an automated tracking system allow for a comprehensive audit trail of who has requested a document, when they have done so, and where the document is currently located. In addition to reducing privacy breach risks, a professional records management solution minimizes legal liability and enables greater adherence to regulatory compliance standards.

Pacific Records Management provides professional records management and storage solutions for law firms throughout Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, and Napa and Solano Counties. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.