Data Security: Security practices surrounding confidential documents fall short

There is a widespread and growing requirement to make better security practices surrounding confidential documents in most organizations today, in accordance to a new report by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network, a peer-driven thought leadership and professional networking organization of information technology leaders.

In an international survey of more than 200 managers and information workers conducted in the fourth quarter of 2016 and first quarter of 2017, 60% of respondents claimed that they or someone they know have accidently sent out a document they should not have.

A huge majority (89%) consider document security risks are growing in their organization because of increased connectivity and the proliferation of mobile devices. The accidental sharing of confidential documents with a wrong party is by far their greatest concern, in accordance to the research, which was sponsored by software provider Foxit Software.

Among the other significant findings: 95% of respondents reflect concerns about the security of documents in their organization; 75% stated that their organization develops confidential documents on at least a weekly basis; less than one-third said their company has security solutions that are being effectively used in securing document security; 43% said their company does not have widely understood policies for document security of which they are aware; and only 16% said their agency is “very effective” in stopping the loss or accidental distribution of confidential digital documents.

“Most companies are clearly not doing enough when it comes to securing the security of high-value data contained in documents,” stated Dave Murray, head of thought leadership for the BPI Network.

“Our research demonstrates that a huge range of information that could compromise businesses is vulnerable to inadvertent leaks, as well as intentional theft,” Murray claimed. “Agencies require doing more to set explicit document security policies and educate workers on available tools and best practices in protecting the confidential information they manage.”