A Quick Guide For Data Protection

When making an online purchase, or creating an account online, it is quite tempting to save banking details and passwords for the sake of convenience. But a data leak from even one of these sources could cost you big time. With the multitude of devices and the rapid shift to cloud storage, all our data is interconnected, our accounts are synced, and financial data and password information is saved online knowingly and unknowingly. Data breaches are common and increasing, even on seemingly secure platforms. This is why it is your responsibility to protect your data and so, by following these tips, you can help safeguard your data and devices.

Manage passwords properly

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Without strong password protection, you may as well be leaving the door of your virtual office open to anyone who wants to walk in, and this is another one of the most crucial data protection tips. Effective password policies are critical for every business. Ensure that passwords are changed regularly, such as every 90 days, and that old passwords are not reused. Ensure that your staff does not fall back on insecure security options such as basing their passwords on their names, company positions, or other easy-to-guess terms. Audit password changes to allow you to keep track of when they change; this will also help to solve password security breaches.

Protect your Web browsing

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A browser extension like uBlock Origin blocks ads and the data they collect. The uBlock Origin extension also prevents malware from running in your browser and gives you an easy way to turn ad-blocking off when you want to support sites you know are secure. Combine uBlock with Privacy Badger, which blocks trackers, and ads won’t follow you around as much. To slow down stalker ads even more, disable interest-based ads from Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter. A lot of websites offer the option of opting out of data collection, but you will need to do so manually. Services like Simple Opt-Out has direct links to opt-out instructions for major sites like Netflix, Reddit, and more. Doing this won’t eliminate the problem completely, but it will significantly cut down the amount of data collected.

Encrypt data on your USB drives and SIM cards

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Encrypting your data on your removable storage devices can make it more difficult for criminals to interpret your personal data, should your device become lost or stolen. USB drives and SIM cards are excellent examples of removable storage devices that can simply be plugged into another device, enabling the user to access all the data stored on it. Unless, of course, it’s encrypted. 

Your USB drive could easily be stolen and plugged into another computer, whereby they can steal all of your files and even install malware or viruses onto your flash drive that will infect any computer it is plugged in to. Encrypt your SIM card in case your phone is ever stolen, or remove it before selling off your old cell phone.