source

The Home of the Security Bloggers Network
Home » Security Bloggers Network » Guide to Secure Document Management for HR Departments
When it comes to managing employee documents, there are a few things that HR departments need to keep in mind. After all, these documents often contain sensitive information that needs to be protected. Here are 13 tips for secure document management for HR departments.
Make sure that your employees are aware of the importance of keeping employee files secure. They should know how to properly handle physical files, as well as how to access and share electronic files securely. You might also want to consider conducting regular security training to keep your employees up to date on best practices.
Your employees constitute your biggest cybersecurity threat and, as such, you need to ensure that they are fully aware of the importance of security and have the tools and training necessary to protect your company’s data. This is especially important when it comes to HR data, as you are responsible for safeguarding all of your employees’ most sensitive personal information.
Your HR department should have a designated, central place where all employee files are stored. This could be an electronic system, a physical filing cabinet, or both. Storing files in one place will help to keep them organized and secure. You should also make sure that access to this central repository is tightly controlled. Having strong permissions in place to make sure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive employee information will help to keep your data secure.
If your HR department uses both physical and electronic file storage, it’s important to keep the two types of files separate. This will help to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information. It will also make it easier to track who has accessed which files, and when.
When sharing employee files electronically, be sure to use a secure file sharing tool. There are a number of options available, and your HR department should choose one that offers robust security features. This could include encryption, password protection, and the ability to track who has accessed the files.
Any file-sharing that is done should be done over a secure network connection. In the age of remote work, where HR employees are working from home, this means using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN will help to keep your data safe as it travels between devices and networks.
Whenever possible, use strong passwords to protect employee files. A strong password should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using easily guessed words or phrases, such as “password” or “123456.”
You might also want to consider using a password randomizer to create strong, unique passwords for each of your files.
If you’re storing sensitive employee data electronically, be sure to encrypt it. This will help to protect the data if the file is ever compromised. There are a number of different encryption algorithms that you can use, so be sure to choose one that is appropriate for the level of security you need.
In addition to encryption, you should also consider using access control measures to protect employee files. This could include setting up user accounts with different levels of permissions so that only authorized personnel can access certain files. You might also want to consider using biometric authentication, such as fingerprint scanners, to restrict access to physical files.
Be sure to create regular backups of all employee files, both physical and electronic. This will help to ensure that you can recover the data if it is ever lost or corrupted. Store the backups in a secure location, such as an offsite storage facility or a cloud-based backup service.
Having a disaster response plan in place is also an important part of secure document management. This plan should detail how you will recover employee files in the event of a fire, flood, or other disasters.
Make sure that all software and hardware used to store employee files is kept up to date. This includes ensuring that you have the latest security patches installed. Having outdated systems is one of the leading causes of data breaches, so it’s important to stay up-to-date.
You should also consider using security tools, such as intrusion detection and prevention systems, to help protect your systems from attacks.
When employee files are no longer needed, be sure to destroy them properly. This includes shredding physical files and permanently deleting electronic files. Simply deleting files from your computer is not enough – you need to use a data destruction tool that will overwrite the data so that it cannot be recovered.
Keep track of who has accessed employee files and when. This information can be useful in the event that a file is compromised, as it can help you to identify who may be responsible. In some cases, it may also be required by law.
Your HR department’s security needs may change over time, so it’s important to review your security measures on a regular basis. This will help to ensure that they are still effective and appropriate for your current needs. You might consider bringing in an outside consultant or even enlisting the help of your IT department to ensure that you are keeping up-to-date with the latest security threats.
When choosing a vendor to help you with employee file management, be sure to work with a reputable provider. They should offer robust security features and be able to meet your specific needs. It’s also important to make sure that they have a good reputation for customer service in case you need any assistance.
These are just a few tips to help you get started with secure employee file management. By following these tips, you can help to keep your employees’ data safe and secure.
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Blog Feed authored by Blog Feed. Read the original post at: https://www.globalsign.com/en/blog/document-management-hr-departments
More Webinars

source

Federal technology leaders offer insights and thought leadership on a sharp rise in cyberattacks, the shift to hybrid work and much more.

Phil Goldstein is a former web editor of the CDW family of tech magazines and a veteran technology journalist. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and their animals: a dog named Brenna, and two cats, Grady and Princess.
For federal agencies, the clock is ticking. By Dec. 31, 2022, agencies need to transition their business processes and record keeping to a fully electronic environment. After that date, the National Archives and Records Administration will no longer accept paper records.
The direction, in an Office of Management and Budget memo, is that agencies ensure all federal records are created, retained and managed in electronic formats with appropriate metadata, NARA’s Laurence Brewer, the chief records officer for the U.S. government, tells FedTech.
That makes the adoption of electronic document management systems all the more important. In June, NARA released its Digital Preservation Framework, which spells out 16 electronic record categories and how agencies can best protect them.
Each agency is required to have a records management staff to ensure their records are properly managed, Brewer says. “This staff must be involved in agency procurement activities to ensure that systems acquired for agency mission-related work meet the agency requirements for records management,” he says. “This includes email systems, which, through efforts like NARA’s Capstone initiative, have made considerable progress over the last five years.”
Electronic document management systems can help agencies meet these requirements. As North Dakota’s state government notes, such systems are a “collection of technologies that work together to provide a comprehensive solution for managing the creation, capture, indexing, storage, retrieval, and disposition of records and information assets of the organization.”
“Over the past decade, NARA has continually been encouraging and in some cases requiring agencies to move towards fully electronic record keeping,” Brewer says. “The traditional records management model of thinking about records only as paper documents is part of the last century. The government creates nearly all of its records in electronic formats; therefore, it makes sense to capture and eventually make available the permanent records coming to NARA as electronic records.”
The OMB memo is a continuation of guidance NARA has been giving agencies for the past decade. “Agencies also must develop plans, consistent with regulations and records management policies, to transfer their analog records to NARA by Dec. 31, 2022, so we can proceed with complete focus on realizing fully electronic government,” Brewer notes.
The Office of the Chief Records Officer publishes an annual “Federal Agency Records Management” report. The report includes agency-reported data on their compliance with records management requirements and their progress toward meeting milestones for electronic record keeping.
The report covering 2019 data shows that agencies are making clear progress on electronic document management.
The report shows, according to Brewer, that 97 percent of agencies believe they will meet the Dec. 31, 2022, deadline to manage permanent records in electronic format with appropriate metadata. The report shows that 93 percent of agencies indicate they will be able to manage temporary records in electronic format.
Many agencies indicated that their records are already created and maintained electronically, according to Brewer.
“Email management is more mature than electronic records management for all records,” Brewer says. “Under 70 percent of agencies met the goal to manage permanent electronic records in electronic format by Dec. 31, 2019.”
MORE FROM FEDTECH: Discover how agencies are embracing document digitization with gusto.
Document management is how agencies and other organizations store, manage and track electronic documents. Document management allows agencies to “capture, track and store electronic documents such as PDFs, word processing files and digital images of paper-based content,” IBM’s website notes.
Document management involves the “use of a computer system and software to store, manage and track electronic documents and electronic images of paper based information captured through the use of a document scanner, ” according to the Association for Intelligent Information Management.
An electronic document management system lets agencies store, access, index, search, retrieve, archive and delete documents. An EDMS is designed to let agencies convert physical documents into electronic forms that can be stored and accessed quickly.
NARA’s Federal Electronic Records Modernization Initiative (FERMI) has developed Universal Electronic Records Management requirements that identify high-level business needs for managing electronic records, Brewer says, which are baseline ERM program requirements derived from existing statutes, standards, NARA regulations, policy and guidance.
Another aspect of FERMI has been NARA’s work with the General Services Administration to make it easier for agencies to acquire the services and solutions needed to manage electronic records.
NARA worked with the GSA to create an Electronic Records Management Solutions category as part of the GSA consolidated schedule. Vendors in that category have all self-certified that they are able to meet NARA’s Universal ERM requirements.
READ MORE: See how agencies are moving toward digital records.
A document management system (DMS) is software that controls and organizes documents throughout the agency, and, as AIIM notes, it “incorporates document and content capture, workflow, document repositories … output systems, and information retrieval systems. Also, the processes used to track, store and control documents.”
As IBM notes, most DMSes today include the following components:
Document control software incorporates the functions of electronic document management systems but specifically helps organizations “manage information, automate records management policies to help monitor who has access to which documents, and remain compliant with standards” such as HIPAA, according to Business News Daily.
As Capterra notes, document control software helps organizations “manage their documents in a way that is compliant with government and industry regulations.”
There are numerous electronic document management system vendors available for agencies to work with. The GSA lists 67 vendors in its Electronic Records Management Solution category. Among them are IBM, which provides document management tools through its FileNet and Content Collector software.
Canon also offers document management capabilities through its Therefore software.
There are several other leading EDMS vendors, including GoCanvas.
“All federal agencies are required to implement records management systems and practices that ensure NARA requirements are implemented in work processes,” Brewer says. “Agencies have the flexibility to develop or procure compliant solutions that ensure all agency records are managed in accordance with NARA-approved records schedules and policies.”
Management
30 Federal IT Influencers Worth a Follow in 2022
Data Center
Virtualization, Consolidation Help Agencies Cut Back on Physical Data Centers
Visit Some Of Our Other Technology Websites:
Tap into practical IT advice from CDW experts.
Visit the Research Hub
Copyright © 2022 CDW LLC 200 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Vernon Hills, IL 60061

source