Institutions live in a large ecosystem where interactions with suppliers and partners are commonplace. This collaboration also necessitates exchanging equipment and documents constantly.
For example,
- Hospitals receive test equipment and sample drugs from medical equipment manufacturers and pharmaceuticals regularly.
- Manufacturers’ R&D department request components from suppliers to send pieces to partners, etc.
These exchanges are not part of the general supply chain so there may not be traces of them in company’s ERP, nor warehouse management systems. Yet, success or failure of a project depends on how fast delivery will happen to the right recipient.
Choosing to buy a third-party cloud-based internal tracking solution helps save money on equipment and R&D costs, but there are factors to take into consideration to ensure data security. A solution that tracks items within company should provide secured access to all information, as it contains sensitive information, such as employees’ data and their role. Internet users are extremely sensitive about how their personal information is collected, used, and managed.
An internal tracking solution may also include sensitive information about organizations’ suppliers and partners, or package recipient within the company, and may include information regarding internal projects. Any solution that touches an organization’s internal processes risks exposure from the threat of cyber-attacks.
To protect data, sensitive and otherwise, one may think of securing software, and companies must pay special attention to processes that will guarantee sensitive data security. The process should be defined, understood, and be shared internally and externally. These actions include asking the questions:
- What cryptography method should be used?
- How often anti-virus software is updated?
- What protection methods are in place to secure passwords?
Launching a product necessitates collaboration between R&D teams, support groups and supply chain members, often whom reside in different time zones. Only a detailed process definition will ensure that each team will achieve their goals without obstruction from needs of other teams. Defining each team’s responsibilities, requirements and access levels are essential to guarantee that sensitive information remains secure.
The first step to secure a product is about being open and transparent about current processes in place and upcoming enhancements. In this continuously evolving world, new threats appear daily – which is why securing a product is not a one-off task. Having regular automatic/manual and internal/external tests are necessary to ensure client data will not be at risk at any moment. Security improvements should be an integral part of the product roadmap.
As product evolves, there should be mechanisms in place to validate each revision to guarantee that security best practices are being followed consistently. This approach should also be followed when integrating the internal tracking solution with third-party systems. Make sure that communications pass through a secure channel and that processes adapted at client site will not jeopardize security and integrity of data, at any level.
With important goal of protecting our clients’ sensitive data, Quadient underwent the process to obtain a security certificate for Quadient’s Web Tracking System (WTS). WTS is a turnkey internal tracking solution that provides reliability and end-to-end visibility into your internal delivery activity. This certificate validates that WTS’ Web application, mobile app – even calls to APIs – have been tested and verified by a third-party company.
Quadient is committed to providing quality products that ensure mobile and web app security, while keeping maintenance costs low and continually improve them to fit the evolving demands of our customers. Hosted in one of the most secure data centers in the world, we follow security best practices to make sure that your sensitive data remains encrypted and securely stored, eliminating the need for expensive on-premise hosting infrastructure.
To find out more on how WTS can assist your business contact Quadient today.
- Learn more: Web Tracking System (WTS)
- Download the WTS Security Audit Certificate,: This certificate is proof of a successful penetration test ordered by company Quadient, Inc. and conducted by the company AEC a.s.
- Download the White Paper: Sodexo ensures client satisfaction through mail tracking from Quadient
