It has become more important than ever to properly secure your documents.
Through years of experience being the CSO (Company Security Officer) at Language Marketplace , one of my top priorities is document security. I have seen many files sent to us on the ‘clear’, when they should have been protected.
As our global economy grows with workers dispersed across the world, international companies often require documents and information to be digitally sent with the majority being unprotected and vulnerable. From using virtual sharing systems on a collaborative effort, or downloading documents to temporary folders to be accessed in tablets, protection of information becomes dizzying. When you add into this mix, documents needing translation into another language, choosing a translation service provider that has the right document security protocols and capabilities is a must.
Security and protection of your documents is not part of any quality assurance certification or audit. A translation service provider should have email encryption capabilities to ensure secure communication with you, when your documents warrant it. They should also have the capability of protecting your data while in their possession.
Email security is not just for government departments or larger corporations – it is accessible to each and every one of us, from companies like Entrust for less than a coffee per day.
There are some simple steps that you can also take to safeguard yourself against your documents being intercepted.
- Password protect your documents, with at least an 8 character password, that includes one uppercase letter, one number and at least one symbol.
- Send the password in a separate email – or call the receiver and provide the password over the phone.
- Avoid using online language translation software – not only for the fact that the translation will be poor quality, but your information will be saved online forever; online translation programs save every word you provide in a translation engine database, so it can learn and try to improve future results for other users. This means that anyone who uses the tool after you may be able to access your data using nefarious tools.
- Create an internal translation procedure for your staff with security in mind.
The same way you would not post your private documents on Facebook for everyone to read, ensure that all documents for translation are routed through a professional provider with the the tools, resources, and knowledge to keep your documents protected.
Ema Dantas