Data Security Matters: Safeguarding Pharma Information in SharePoint Implementation

The sensitive nature of the data involved, and the complexity of operations in the life sciences sector makes governance and data security vital. 

Moreover, to stay competitive in the face of growing competition, changing consumer needs and emerging markets, businesses must make their operations robust while adhering to the worldwide data-protection and privacy challenges in a cost-effective manner. The use of SharePoint for information management might be crucial in addressing these issues. Secure SharePoint solutions can facilitate collaboration, foster effective communication, while providing security, and assistance in safeguarding data.  

Understanding SharePoint in Pharma 

SharePoint becomes an indispensable tool for information management, collaboration, and security in the ever-changing life science industry. As a fundamental component of the digital infrastructure, Secure SharePoint has strong permission management and access control features, which protect the validity, confidentiality, and integrity of electronic documents. In addition to improving online collaboration, this platform offers a haven for data storage, all the while simplifying communication and collaboration inside vital functions such as project portfolio management, IT operations, and sales and marketing. 

Key features of SharePoint relevant to data security in the life science and pharmaceutical sector include: 

• Document management: SharePoint offers a flexible platform for managing, collaborating, and storing documents. This is crucial to promote collaboration and communications in operations pertaining to manufacturing processes, project resource management, and sales and marketing. 
• Security and compliance: To preserve compliance and guarantee data security in the pharmaceutical industry, SharePoint solutions provides capabilities such as access control, audit trails, and data loss prevention. 
• Customizable permissions: Custome permission levels for data security are also provided by SharePoint to enable the management of data access, guaranteeing that only authorized individuals may see and alter vital information. 
• Integration with active directory: Active Directory and SharePoint work together to restrict system access to authorized accounts exclusively, preventing unauthorized users from entering areas used for the creation and upkeep of electronic documents. 
• Collaboration and information Sharing: For cross-functional teams, SharePoint makes safe information exchange and cooperation easier. 
• Zero trust security model: Microsoft advises using a Zero Trust security approach for SharePoint. This is especially important in highly regulated and protected settings like the pharmaceutical and life science industries. 

These features make SharePoint a valuable platform for managing, securing, and collaborating in the life science and pharmaceutical sector. 

SharePoint Advantages for Lifesciences 

1. Pre-designed templates: SharePoint has ready-made templates, lists, and parts for performing usual life science operations. This saves the organizations a lot of time and effort when setting up document and process management systems without requiring costly bespoke development. 
2. Document review cycle: Life sciences companies have stringent regulations when it comes to document approvals and access. SharePoint provides a secure space to manage end-to-end documents review cycle with capabilities like collaboration, and version controls. You can also build custom solutions which can automate document approvals, thus saving valuable time for the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). 
3. E-signatures: To avoid paper-based procedures and maintain compliance in life sciences organizations, SharePoint is integrated with e-signature software to provide the simple electronic signing of documents. 
4. Cost-effectiveness: SharePoint readily integrates with current infrastructure to provide business document workflows that, by improving organization, lower the expenses associated with paper and compliance. It is part of the Microsoft O365 suite, so no additional cost is incurred to run a document management system, or a collaboration portal.  
5. SharePoint with Microsoft Power Apps: Another great advantage of SharePoint is the Microsoft Power Platform. The Power apps enable quick creation of unique forms, automate mundane tasks, and create virtual chatbots which can efficiently handle stakeholder queries. Field workers can now access straightforward data inputs and streamlined document flows on any device thanks to the combined power of SharePoint and the Power Platform. 
6. Auto-archive: Documents stored in SharePoint can be automatically archived after a predetermined amount of time, transferring them from production systems into compliant records management systems. This supports the management of document retention rules by life science firms.  
7. Security precautions: SharePoint connects with Active Directory and offers fine-grained permission restrictions. Furthermore, features like Information Rights Management (IRM) make it possible to restrict access even while it is not within the network, which helps the highly regulated life sciences sector satisfy its security and compliance requirements.  

Best Practices for Data Security in SharePoint Implementation for Life Sciences 

Adherence to certain data security best practices is necessary when using SharePoint data security in life science firms to safeguard sensitive data. The following are some guidelines for enhancing data security in life science firms using SharePoint: 

1. Enable encryption: To guarantee safe connection between SharePoint servers and clients, use SSL/TLS certificates. If you want to further safeguard sensitive data kept on servers, think about encrypting disks at the disk level. 
2. Access control: Put strong access control measures in place to guarantee that only those with permission may access private information, preventing both illegal access and data breaches with SharePoint security. 
3. Data loss prevention: To defend against data leaks, take proactive steps to prevent sensitive data from being shared, whether consciously or unconsciously while using SharePoint monitoring best practice. 
4. External sharing and permissions management: Handle permissions and external sharing carefully to limit access to private information and shield it from prying eyes. 
5. Comprehensive disaster recovery protocols: Designing and testing recovery protocols for restoring SharePoint access and resuming normal operations minimizes disruption from outages, power failures or natural disasters. 
6. Regular updates and patch management: Maintain a patch management procedure to guarantee timely upgrades on all servers and stay current with the most recent security patches and updates for SharePoint compliance solutions for pharma. 

Life science organizations can make sure that their SharePoint deployment is safe, complies with industry laws, and successfully shields sensitive data from threats and vulnerabilities by adhering to these best practices. 

Conclusion 

Conclusively, a thoughtful and secure SharePoint installation is essential, and the importance of data security in the pharmaceutical industry cannot be emphasized. Retaining confidence and adhering to regulations require the protection of sensitive data. Maintaining the integrity of the pharmaceutical sector and future-proofing processes requires a proactive approach, which can be done using SharePoint. 

Enhance your life science and pharma operations with i2e’s expert SharePoint implementation. Elevate data security, streamline collaboration, and achieve compliance seamlessly. Contact us today for a secure transformation.