Page 8 - Cyber Warnings

Protecting Vulnerable Data in a Paperless Workplace

By Mari Frank, attorney, privacy expert and member of the 3M-sponsored Visual Privacy
Advisory Council

Going paperless can do more than save trees. It can help organizations be more productive,
reduce document storage and handling costs, and improve access to information.

In the financial services industry, the shift from paper to electronic statements is helping reduce
the industry’s printing and distribution costs, which until recently totaled almost $20 billion
annually. A study also found that using electronic forms in place of paper can help improve
banking productivity by nearly 40 percent.

For law firms, going paperless can help reduce the time and costs associated with managing
vast amounts of documentation, and help make attorneys more available to clients.
Consequently, two-thirds of attorneys at some of the country’s largest firms predict that law
firms will be paperless by 2020.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has ordered federal agencies to eliminate paper and use
electronic recordkeeping “to the fullest extent possible” by 2019. Some of the reasons for this
move include helping agencies minimize costs, improve performance, and promote openness
and accountability.

For all the benefits of going paperless, however, organizations should be mindful of the privacy
and security risks that can come with it.

More Vulnerable Data

By its very nature, a paperless workplace involves more content being accessed, managed and
displayed in digital form. This content can often include sensitive or confidential information,
such as customers’ personal or financial data, company financials, and payroll information.

Clearly, organizations will need to re-examine their cybersecurity efforts to help protect this
information from hackers. But technical controls can only go so far. Organizations should also
consider the physical and human elements of protecting data as part of a move to paperless
processes.

For example, moving to a paperless workplace typically involves a wider range of workers
gaining access to a greater amount of digital content. It also involves using a more diverse mix
of devices that access the content, especially as workforces continue to become more mobile.

8 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – July 2016 Edition
Copyright © Cyber Defense Magazine, All rights reserved worldwide