Why
is it important?
Data
security is a key aspect of any modern business. It's as important as
physical security, just as you would ensure that your physical
archive is protected and safe, your digital collection is just as
vulnerable. Unprotected data has the potential to be accessed by
anyone,
it could be infected by a malicious virus, stolen or even deleted.
Though
it may seem trivial, this threat extends beyond protecting your
archive alone. Many businesses store personal information on their
systems which is equally as important. This could range from: phone
numbers, addresses, bank details, credit card information, both
employee and client details could be at risk. This data should never
be publicly accessible and you will be responsible for its
protection. For example, if
your companies
system has
a virus which
is passed onto
another company and
they can prove it came from your organisation
due to the
lack of adequate security, you could be held responsible.
Even
if someone accesses your system and only does something harmless,
this can still affect the reputation of the business and be
potentially humiliating.
How
to protect your data
Ultimately
you want to restrict who can access your data and here is how:
-
All data should require a password to access. This can be done by making sure whatever you use to store your data is password protected i.e. Wifi, computer, laptop, tablet. Not only does this protect your data if the device was stolen, this also safeguards your account over a network.
-
Take care when downloading, never open any attachments from people that you do not know or were not expecting contact from. Opening emails is fine, but avoid downloading attachments or clicking links especially if you are uncertain what the content is.
-
Only use reputable software, if you do not recognise the developer of the software (i.e. Adobe, Microsoft etc.) it is advised to do a quick background check via Google to check that the source isn't malicious.
-
When emailing sensitive data you can zip the files and add a protective password before sending. This can be done using WinRAR, a file compression and zipping tool. The password can then be sent via text or phone.
-
Other safe ways of sharing data include; Google Docs. This tool is a great extension to your Gmail, giving you the option of 'sharing' certain data with other email contacts either as read only or editable format, allowing controlled sharing of potentially sensitive data. This is a more direct way of accessing information without the risk of emails being intercepted.
-
Regularly changing your passwords, we would recommend changing your passwords once every 6 months. If you are having difficulty remembering all your passwords, we would recommend using tools such as KeePass 2 (Windows) or Keychain (Mac OSX), which log all your passwords safely with a master password to access the system.
If you have an archive and are concerned about any of these issues, feel free to contact us for more advice.
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