Scanning documents and uploading them to your personal computer or other device is one of the best ways to keep information accessible and safe simultaneously. However, you might be wondering what to do with this information after uploading it. Here are some steps to follow to walk you through what to do after scanning important documents.
Store Them Safely
If you need to retain certain important documents after scanning them, be sure to store them safely and securely. You don’t want thieves or burglars to have easy access to confidential information. To prevent access to these documents, consider storing them in a safe or a filing cabinet with a lock or keypad. Follow these guidelines whether you’re protecting your personal or business information. This will prevent things like your birth certificate, financial information, bank account numbers, and more from falling into the wrong hands.
Thoroughly Shred Them
Often, when you create a digital backup of your printed documents, you don’t need to retain most of them. This allows you to decrease the points of access that criminals can use to get your information. Due to the amount of safety built into today’s technology, digital records are safer than printed records. But how do you securely get rid of your physical copies? Use a high-security personal or office shredder to thoroughly destroy your paper copies when you no longer need them.
Protect Your Digital Files
Finally, once you’ve stored or destroyed your old paper documents, you should treat your digital files with the same care. Create a secure backup of important data so that you can’t lose it even when your computer or other technology crashes on you. You should also create password-protected files or encrypt your devices to keep your files safe from hackers. Always use two-factor authentication for your cloud storage accounts and keep your security information updated.
Digitally storing confidential files is one of the safest methods to keep them for the future. Now that you know what to do after scanning important documents, you can follow these guidelines to keep your information safe. And if you need a secure way to destroy these old documents, you should use one of our high-security shredders here at Capital Shredder.