National Cybersecurity Awareness Month was launched in October of 2004 and has been observed every year since. The theme of this year's campaign is Secure Our World, which serves as a reminder to businesses about online security.
Cyberattacks pose a huge threat to the security of your data. According to a report from Forbes Advisor, more than 98% percent of organisations reported incidents related to email security in 2023, and the average cost of a data breach was $4.88 million.
The ability to sign documents online is still relatively new, and not everyone is convinced they're ready to make the switch from conventional paperwork to a digital platform. There are also common misconceptions about the security and privacy of digital signatures. However, the benefits of digitizing paperwork are causing more people and businesses to move their work almost entirely online.
Digitally signing, sending, and managing documents online can help you maintain complete confidentiality and security. Here are some recommended practices to help you get started securely.
Best practices for signing documents online
When you sign documents online, the service is typically provided by a digital signature solution like Zoho Sign. While apps like Zoho Sign typically comply with various global regulations and maintain best industry practices, it is also important that you follow and enforce a few simple measures among users within your organization to safeguard your data and identities.
1. Strong passwords, secure access: Secure your Zoho account with a strong and unique password. The password strength indicator and the standard guidelines shown while setting up your account can help you craft a strong password. Using a password manager like Zoho Vault can even help you generate a strong password and store your passwords securely for easier one-click access. Do not share password with anyone else or store it in vulnerable locations like spreadsheets, notebooks, etc.
If you are more tech savvy, take a look at the passkeys option.
2. Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Set up MFA for your Zoho account to enable an additional layer of security and authentication. You can use an app like Zoho OneAuth to set this up and add multiple modes of authentication for logging in via notifications, biometrics, and time-based OTP (TOTP). Once MFA has been set up, generate your backup codes and save them in a secure location.
3. Enabling authentication for document recipients: Customize your settings to enable recipient authentication so that they have to enter an email or SMS-based OTP or undergo a relevant authentication process to access the documents sent to them for signing or approval. This is particularly useful when your recipients do not have a Zoho account but you need to verify their identities to a reasonable degree. Businesses based in the United States can even use dynamic knowledge-based authentication (KBA), which asks recipients out-of-wallet questions to establish their identities. Similarly, businesses in the European Union can use eID-based authentication to authenticate their recipients.
4. Setting up user groups, roles, and profiles to govern document access and permissions: With Zoho Sign, you have the choice of sharing documents and granting permissions to operate on documents with specific users and user groups by setting up extensive user roles and permission profiles in your settings as an administrator. By segmenting users into groups based on teams and setting the right roles and permissions based on departments or your organizational hierarchy, you can ensure your data is visible only to the right users. You can also remove or restrict inactive users to minimise risks of breach and rogue actors.
5. Sending verified emails via DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM): Verifying your email domains using the DKIM method in your account settings prevents emails sent by Zoho Sign from being suspected as spam or coming from an impersonator. DKIM verification establishes that you own your domain with the help of a published SPF record. Emails that do not pass the DKIM and SPF-based verification will likely be marked as "spam", or may often not be delivered by email providers to the recipient inbox. This can also help your recipients identify and build trust with your services by recognizing your verified business domain when mails don't land in their spam folder.
6. Beware of email phishing: Stay vigilant when interacting with emails you receive. Malicious actors could be sending you fraudulent emails from addresses that resemble legitimate businesses. Be cautious when you click on links in suspicious emails as they could trigger a script or download malware onto your devices. Always check for grammatical and spelling errors before engaging with the sender or clicking any links to keep your documents and data secure.
7. Using automatic cloud backup: Your business documents and data are critical to your day-to-day operations and must be kept confidential. Storing physical paperwork is cumbersome and poses high risks in terms of both data security and business continuity. Therefore, it is always important to be able to readily access all your signed documents. Zoho Sign allows you to access all your documents on-demand, and setting up automatic cloud backup ensures redundancy to keep your data secure. Zoho Sign integrates with cloud storage providers such as Zoho WorkDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and OneDrive, which allows you to back up all your data automatically.
For an extensive list of steps you can take for a secure online document signing experience, read our best practices for Zoho Sign users.
There are many additional steps you can take to ensure your security online. However, these simple security measures are a step in the right direction towards ensuring complete data privacy and security.
Happy signing!
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