4 Best Practices for Secure Client Portals

Digital paperwork is standard for many industries nowadays. People don’t want to come into your office to sign documents if they can be digital. But how can you share and receive sensitive data while keeping it secure? Many businesses rely on client portals for such transactions. Keep reading to learn four best practices to follow to keep your client portal secure.

Choose a Platform Carefully

First, you’ll need to select a platform for creating your client portal. There are many types of software out there, and most provide the level of security businesses require. However, it’s essential to make sure that the software offers the functional features you need, including the potential for business growth (more on that later). You can choose between “off-the-shelf” platforms, custom platforms, or a combination of pre-built and customized components. Sift through your options to ensure your client portal will be able to meet your needs while remaining secure.

Control User Access

No matter how secure a portal is, every user creates a tiny prick in the portal’s safety. The small hole that users rely on to access or upload documents can create opportunities for hackers to break in. So, it’s vital that every user—including your clients—follows strict security protocols to minimize the risks of a security breach. These include the following:

• User-level authentication
• Strong password policies
• Regular password updates
• Multi-factor authentication
• Limited login attempts
• Tiered access to documents

Putting strict controls on user access may seem inconvenient to the users at first, but ultimately, it’s essential to protecting the documents uploaded to your client portal.

Create Clear Retention Policies

Hanging onto documents with sensitive data for too long makes them more likely to be stolen. It would be best to have clear retention policies about how long you hang onto documents and user profiles. (Your industry may have regulatory guidelines to help you with creating these policies.) Know when to deactivate inactive users and when to delete old files.

Plan for Maintenance and Growth

Finally, plan to update and expand your portal regularly. Even if your business isn’t growing rapidly, you should be updating your portal to ensure it remains secure. Have the security measures tested periodically to check for weak points. Then, as your business grows, make sure that the portal remains functional, meeting not only your clients’ needs but your employees’ needs as well.

If you need help establishing or maintaining a secure client portal, look for IT managed services in Orlando.