Improving and ensuring document security needs to be a priority given the confidential nature of a large amount of information processed by businesses. Fraud, fines and legal action are all potential consequences of data loss, impacting a company's bottom line, brand and reputation.
If you struggle to find documents, there are no access restrictions or if information could easily fall into the wrong hands, it's time to take a proper look at your document security.
Document security is how a business keeps control of its data, ensuring compliance and the prevention of data loss.
Efficiently maintaining document archiving, filing, processing, sharing, back ups and destruction should be planned out. Everyone in the organisation needs to be aware of document security protocols and the important role they each play in following them.
Different document types will have different rules that apply to them. For example with an employee contract, only HR, a line manager and the employee themselves should have access, whereas invoices could be available to all of finance, management and project teams.
Improving the security and safety of your archived documents will also depend on whether information is stored digitally or on paper. Paper documents can be lost, misfiled and accessed much more easily than those stored digitally.
Archived documents are those put into secure storage for an extended period of time. They may contain information employees need to access infrequently, but that are required for reference to ensure tasks are completed.
Additionally, some document types are subject to lengthy retention rules such as invoices that need to be kept for six years. Data held on children may need to be kept for up to 15 years and medical data can be up kept for up to 75 years!
It's vital that documents both in paper and in digital format are archived securely. Protecting a company and an individual's data from threats of cyber attacks, fraud and loss should be a top priority.
Document management security is more than a compliance checkbox—it’s a business-critical function that protects sensitive information from theft, loss, or misuse. With hybrid working models and increasing cyber threats, secure document handling is now a non-negotiable.
At DocTech, we recommend solutions like DocuWare, which is built with security at its core. Here are the top 10 best practices to protect your documents, data, and business integrity.
Assign access permissions based on job roles. With DocuWare, RBAC ensures that only authorised users can view or edit specific documents. Permissions can be granted at the user or group level, allowing for precise control over your data.
This approach minimises the risk of internal breaches and ensures your teams only see what they need to.
User login credentials alone are not enough. DocuWare includes Two-Factor Authentication to ensure secure document access, especially for remote workers.
2FA reduces the chances of unauthorised access, even if usernames or passwords are compromised.
All documents stored in or moving through DocuWare are encrypted using AES 256-bit encryption, one of the most secure encryption standards available today.
This ensures that even if data is intercepted, it remains inaccessible to unauthorised parties.
Routine audits are essential for identifying vulnerabilities. DocuWare provides comprehensive logging and audit trails so you can see who accessed what, when, and what changes were made.
This visibility is key for maintaining compliance with regulations like GDPR and ISO 27001.
Human error remains a top cause of data breaches. Ensure all employees are trained on the basics of document management security, from recognising phishing attempts to handling confidential documents appropriately.
With DocuWare’s intuitive interface and built-in safeguards, the system reinforces secure behaviour by design.
DocuWare automatically tracks every interaction with stored documents. These tamper-proof audit trails help with internal reviews, investigations, and regulatory compliance.
This transparency builds trust and allows your organisation to demonstrate full control over document handling.
Avoid confusion and ensure document integrity with version control. DocuWare maintains complete document histories, making it easy to restore previous versions or verify authenticity using digital signatures.
This is especially useful for contracts, policies, and legal documents where version control is critical.
With more teams working from home or on the go, secure access is essential. DocuWare is cloud-based and accessible from anywhere—but only with the right credentials and security protocols in place.
Its mobile-friendly interface, combined with 2FA and encrypted connections, makes remote access both flexible and secure.
Even with robust document management security, you need a disaster recovery plan. DocuWare provides automated backups and offers geo-redundant cloud storage, ensuring your documents are safe and recoverable at all times.
This protects your data from ransomware, server crashes, and other unexpected disasters.
Using outdated systems exposes your business to unnecessary risks. DocuWare is a cloud-first platform, meaning it receives automatic updates with the latest features and security enhancements.
There’s no need for manual patching or risky workarounds—your system stays current and protected at all times.
Document management security isn’t just about IT—it’s about trust, compliance, and resilience. DocuWare's robust suite of features makes it a leading choice for organisations serious about securing their information.
To learn more about how DocTech and DocuWare can transform your document security, get in touch with us today info@doctech.co.uk 0161 647 7040.