Archive for the ‘Cloud working’ Category

Add docSAFE to your 2020 plans

Monday, December 16th, 2019

As we head towards a new decade, it’s worth remembering that docSAFE has been around for 2 of them and, as a result, is one of the most time-tested, resilient and enduring client portals available.

If you’re not sure what a client portal even is, in layman’s terms, it’s a central hub where you can store documents and do a whole host of valuable, clever things that make your work-life streamlined and efficient. You work with your clients online in a professional way that is as useful as it is impressive. It is perfect for any business with clients – accountants have been our main clients since we began but we are increasingly attracting solicitors, creative agencies, insurance companies, estate agents and business owners who can see how it works for them.

  • Work and access files from anywhere 24/7
  • Sign online
  • Exchange files securely
  • Eliminate email (especially for sensitive documents)
  • Set up a secure audit trail – see status updates instantly
  • Add a payroll module for secure communications
  • Update everything automatically
  • Give your clients access to whatever you need
  • Brand your docSAFE with your corporate colours and style

docSAFE and its contents are sealed in tight layers of security so it satisfies GDPR and, more importantly, means your business credibility will never be compromised through security breaches. We are constantly adding state of the art and innovative solutions that will protect your data, keep your client and staff information safe and make sure hackers can’t get in to your systems. We are increasingly seeing hackers targeting all kinds of smaller business – not just the household names. They can find a way to access your most important and sensitive information, including your personal data and finances. Our exhaustive approach to security formed part of our recent ISO 27001 accreditation.

Talk to us about introducing docSAFE into your 2020 systems. We can give you a demo or a trial and talk you through some of the features that make it so popular.

Click on our weblink and our signature video will tell you more in really simple terms.

Why is docSAFE better than email?

Tuesday, April 9th, 2019

If you send emails to clients – and we all do – there will be times when the content is confidential and it is vital that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Sometimes we might not be aware of how sensitive data is, especially from a client point of view.

Email is great for small talk, arrangements and quick communications but it is not secure and highly susceptible to human error. How many times have you sent information to or received information from the wrong source? I am regularly wrongly emailed client documents by a highly intelligent, trusted professional simply because I have a very similar name to his client. It is completely understandable but it could have any number of repercussions.

A client portal is a cloud-based safe. The documents go in (added by you or your client), the recipient is notified and they are then retrieved. It is also subject to several layers of top-level security.

Signing online is another more efficient way to exchange and complete documents – and usually, anything requiring a signature is subject to some sort of security requirement. We offer a highly encrypted online signing facility that has saved many thousands of hours by turning legal documents round in seconds. No more waiting on the post or queuing to send things by special delivery!

For the sake of your practice, your reputation and your clients’ trust, switch from email to a secure client portal before it is too late. We can help, advise and support a quick transition to a much safer and more professional way to communicate.

Cyber trends for 2019

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

Juniper Research has estimated that cybercrime could rise by as much as 175% over the next 5 years and, of course, as hackers get more sophisticated and determined to succeed, so must we make sure we are doing all we can to make life difficult for them. Why be an easy target? It’s not just large-scale organisations like banks and hospitals that are the targets for cyber crime.

Hackers infiltrate every level of business to add links and diverts to other websites, they compromise your client data (could your business afford even a sniff of that?) and generally cause trouble whilst they are poking around your systems. There is much in the news about wide-spread attacks, one of the latest being the new energy smart meters that we are being urged to introduce to our homes. It is anticipated that these could be a relatively easy target – which brings all sorts of other, mass consumer, digitally connected devices into question. However, many hackers go for the low hanging fruit which means they will enjoy easy pickings and wreak havoc within businesses who aren’t protecting themselves sufficiently.

We are reading about botnets, swarm networks and hive nets to name just a few of the ways our systems are being targeted. The level of complexity is such that it is hard to put into words for a savvy IT business, let alone the man in the street. It’s complicated and, most importantly, it’s not going away anytime soon. We work very hard to make sure that docSAFE is protected under multiple layers of security and this is something we have always done to stay ahead of the game. We are always updating, improving and building the layers we employ – to protect your data and also all the data you hold on clients, suppliers and your staff, for example. This isn’t just for GDPR – it’s for business survival!

“Given the benefits of the networked world, the move to digitalisation isn’t going to slow down. It’s important we realistically assess our dependence upon cyber and the potential consequences of a disruptive attack. Maintaining physical backups or other redundancies, changing operational processes, and even keeping less data can reduce the impact of a successful attack.” says Suzanne Spalding, former DHS Under Secretary, USA.

It is expected we will see more ransomware – malicious software that blocks access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. Crypto-jacking – the practice of taking over a device or network of devices to operate a crypto mining operation (a digital or virtual currency that is used and operated independently of a bank) and other such attacks.

Talk to us and make sure you don’t fall victim to any cyber crime this year.

Why docSAFE works for every business

Thursday, January 31st, 2019

It’s hard to imagine a business that wouldn’t benefit from docSAFE. With the MD’s accountancy background it was originally designed for accountants – and then gradually opened up to other professions. We challenged ourselves at docSAFE HQ with the notion that it actually works for everyone, regardless of sector. Quite simply if you communicate with the outside world then docSAFE is your greatest ally in terms of efficiency, professionalism and security.

For efficiency docSAFE streamlines many processes that you might spend a long time on ordinarily. Helpful things – like merging and zipping multiple documents into one neat pdf – right through into providing online signing. Online signing is hugely popular with our clients. It allows them to send a document to the client portal (securely of course) with an automatic alert to announce its arrival. The client signs (within the portal) and you are alerted on its updated status. This not only saves hours of meeting time but it also gets an important job done within the safety of docSAFE, never leaving it to jump on an email or get accidentally mailed to the wrong person.

For professionalism, showcasing the security and functionality of the system gives your business an edge. No more bog standard Dropbox or WeTransfer for large files. Instead you direct your clients to a personalised, branded space where they can collaborate, sign, review and update documents – from anywhere, 24/7.

For security, there is nothing else quite like it. docSAFE has layers and layers of security of all kinds to make it as fortress-like as possible. 2 factor authentication, security keys and much more. We understand the way businesses can be compromised and how much of a risk this can be, especially when you hold contact information and sensitive data on staff, suppliers and clients. Hacking is no longer the province of the big corporates, we have helped small businesses who have been targeted in a number of ways for a whole host of reasons.

So in a nutshell we decided to let docSAFE loose on all businesses, of all kinds, in all sectors.

Try it for yourself.

Re-thinking your work practices

Thursday, December 20th, 2018

The start of a new year is always good time to re-assess and test your business processes and practices. Are they fit for purpose? Do they do everything you need them to? Are they secure? Do they cover your business in terms of compliance? Are they easy to use? Is there a regular, onerous task that could be improved?

One of the main reasons people switch to docSAFE is for the layers and layers of security. We are constantly adding state of the art and innovative solutions that will protect your data, keep your client and staff information safe and make sure hackers can’t get in to your systems. We are increasingly seeing hackers targeting all kinds of smaller business – not just the household names. They can find a way to access your most important and sensitive information, including your personal data and finances.

It is more important than ever that you take steps to prevent this – for you, your staff and your clients. Our exhaustive approach to security formed part of our recent ISO 27001 accreditation.

Signing online is a game-changer. You can speed up so many operations by asking your clients to sign online and it’s perfectly legal. docSAFE offers a full audit trail and it also automatically reminds your clients to sign anything they’ve overlooked. You can also see, at a glance, which documents are outstanding.

Signing online saves valuable time and allows you to organise face-to-face meetings for when things really matter. There’s no substitute for getting together with a client but we just believe signing documents isn’t one of them!

Working in the cloud, storing your information remotely so you can access it anywhere, anytime, has proved incredibly popular since we launched docSAFE many years ago. Not only can you get to any file but you can collaborate, share, back up and give select access to documents as you require.

Keeping your documents in the cloud is an intelligent way to store everything too. If you have problems with your computer hardware and your data is stored remotely, you can just access it from another device.

Sometimes we can’t see how a new way of doing things so it’s worth investigating options, viewing demos, attending events and talking to other people in your sector to see what they use and how it benefits them. You can also ask us for more information.

Take the next step, call us today
0121 794 0685