E-storage as an integral component of digital reality

We should never underestimate the challenges of providing accessibility and usability of business documents while preserving their integrity, authenticity and permanence.

E-hramba kot nujni del nove digitalne stvarnosti

The digitalization of business which we are seeing today is rapidly changing the established business practices and processes. To harness the digital, companies must provide their employees with the information they need to do their work and enable them to share, manage and preserve, properly and securely, the documents they have created during work.

The digital workplace requires appropriate data storage and preservation

Although the need to store a document only arises in the final stage of its life cycle, it is a fact that efficient, compliant and long-term data storage is a key component of any digital business. Data in digital storage is only available to authorized personnel, easily accessible and ready to use throughout the storage period. It does, however, retain its authenticity and integrity, whilst modifications are only allowed in exceptional cases and are fully traceable.

Storage on Mikrocop's server or the services of web storage providers may seem an okay and low-cost solution at first but often fails to meet all the requirements of secure and compliant long term digital data preservation. Data storage is not something we should choose on the spur of the moment or let our decision be governed solely on the merit of price. The question we need to ask ourselves is: are we willing to take the risk of inappropriate data storage?

What are the consequences of:

  • unauthorized access to personal data?
  • inability to prove the legal validity of a document in the event of a dispute?
  • alienation of business confidential information?

Using certified solutions and services

One answer to coping with the challenge of guaranteeing the security and compliance of e-storage is through the use of certified external providers of digital data storage. Certification with the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia testifies to the regulatory compliance of long-term data preservation. Also, storing data with a certified external provider is also more secure than if the data are stored on site.

The data in certified InDoc EDGE digital storage cannot be erased, falsified or modified. The documents are digitally signed and time stamped and access to stored data is only granted to authorized persons. All document activities are recorded, the audit trail is maintained, and the readability of long-term formats is ensured.

Raba certificiranih rešitev in storitev

Paying particular attention to documents containing personal data

Documents normally contain a lot of personal data, which means that personal data protection and document management and storage are closely related. Well, not everyone seems to agree. Inappropriate storage and unauthorized views into confidential documents still pose a serious security risk, and the requirements which the GDPR lays down in terms of audit trail recording, retention periods, and erasure of personal data create additional challenges for many organizations.

A provider of a secure and legally compliant digital preservation solution has to maintain a high level of information security and regularly upgrade all control mechanisms. Storage and retention of personal data is a matter of great importance. In choosing the best e-storage option, you should therefore make sure that the solution allows specific user authorizations for accessing documents and check how it records the audit trail. The GDPR gives strict guidelines for personal data management and processing, which an organization must observe if it wants to avoid unpleasant fines and penalties.

Organizations often need to access their documents from a remote location. With that knowledge in mind and with full awareness of the importance of adequate information security and personal data protection, Mikrocop has set up the InDoc EDGE data management platform which also provides secure and compliant e-storage.

Nataša Pirc Musar, lawyer and partner at Pirc Musar & Lemut Strle law firm

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Ivo Vasev

Ivo Vasev is the Product Owner of Mikrocop's InDoc EDGE information management platform. Through his endeavors at the intersection of different business areas and IT, he searches for answers to the challenges of digital transformation, focusing extensively on the customer experience and new ways to help companies realize their digital potential.

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