You inevitably reveal information about yourself and your company when you have material translated. Almost never intended for the wider public, this material is always private, sensitive, and always personal. Therefore, you must take certain measures to ensure that your data doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Follow this blog to learn how translation procedures can reduce data security issues. We’ll demonstrate the most typical security pitfalls to you, along with solutions.
The translation industry has a variety of translation issues, just like any other industry. Some of these issues are experienced by the translators and others by the customers, while others may be viewed as structural issues or security hazards since they affect translation as a whole. Even while we are unable to provide a solution for every single translation-related issue, we may assist you lessen their effect by offering some advice gleaned from our experience.
The Following Are A Few Of Them:
1. A Lack Of Data Security In Machine Translation
Do you use Google Translate yourself? Then you should pay more attention to their GTCs. In the case of the free versions, you often consent to the transmission of your data automatically, granting third parties the right to share or index the material you submitted for their own reasons.
The Solution
While you normally have to pay for these, they provide far greater data security because your material won’t be retained forever or used to train the company’s language models, and it will be delivered in encrypted form. Look for a safe CAT (computer-assisted translation) technology that enables your staff to create first translations using a machine translation framework without giving these suppliers access to your data. The same is true of where uploaded files are kept. No matter what you translate in the text box in, the right to control your data will still belong to you or your business.
2. Unsecured Servers And Communication Applications
Ransomware is currently the largest danger to servers and software. This is malicious software that attackers employ to deny users access to or usage of their own data, or, in the worst-case scenario, to completely lock them out of their own machine. Another cruc factor to take into account when it comes to translation is ensuring strong ransomware security. Here, outdated technology, a lack of supervision, and poor security training pose the largest hazards.
The Solution
At the very least, make sure that all the data you transfer and keep is encrypted using cutting-edge encryption; 256-bit SSL is the lowest level available. Your system’s vulnerabilities will be found by conducting regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments; sophisticated threat security uses artificial intelligence to track suspicious activity. In addition to routine system upgrades, all staff should be required to complete IT security training.
3. Including Files In Email Attachments For Translation
Promoting centralised hubs for all cooperation is one strategy to lower risk in language translation operations. When working together on translation projects, many people make the error of sending file attachments through email for edit requests and trusted translations requests. The same holds true for instant messaging using third-party programmes.
The Solution
Locate a safe translation platform with a reliable project management section. Teams will be able to work together efficiently with all the tools they require thanks to this, and productivity will also rise as a result of the centralization of translation data.
4. Exploitation Of Login Information
Secure login information has always been important to take into account while using the internet, but lots of mistakes are still made by users, such as choosing simple passwords that may be guessed in a matter of seconds or sticking with suggested usernames like “Administrator” without changing them. Combining these two mistakes makes it simple to access applications and software accounts.
The Solution
The recommended course of action is to utilise two-factor authentication, which adds an extra security. The likelihood that someone may input the incorrect password in the wrong location is also decreased by single sign-on, which is a login method for several platforms that operates by authenticating users using a certificate. The platform you use for your language offerings need to enable automatic logout and lock when wrong login information is entered.
5. User Permission Controls Being Ignored
Companies run the danger of those data ending up in the hands of unauthorised individuals or inboxes when they utilise online translation software without user authorization constraints.
The Solution
Check that user access limits are in place if your firm already uses translation software to assist your teams consolidate their projects. It’s time to think about an other option if the programme doesn’t provide those controls.
6. Backups That Are Insecure Or Inadequate
Even when all fundamental cybersecurity precautions are taken, an end device may still malfunction, go missing, or even become the target of a system assault. Then, access to safe backups that are current is required. If you don’t frequently back up your files or if copies are kept in a cloud that isn’t well-protected and is also susceptible to ransomware that has gotten into your device or system, problems may arise.
The Solution
To have your content completely safe, you must have a backup that is not connected to the internet and is stored on external local servers. Your terminology databases and translation memories should be kept in this manner. As a result, all current texts and translations are encrypted and stored in your archive, where they may be accessed without causing any data loss. It is ideal to be able to access not just the most recent copy but also other backup versions.
Conclusion
Fortunately, there are ways for businesses to guarantee the confidentiality of their data when having it translated. A multilingual employee, a freelance translator, a professional translation agency, or a machine translation website are all examples of people that the business will have to entrust with sensitive data at some point throughout that process. When choosing whom to trust, the corporation must determine the extent of its willingness for risk. Professional translation services outperform alternative translation solutions in this situation.
