Data loss is a highly possible and ugly eventuality that can befall any business. But you can prevent it by backing up your information before the proverbial rainy day. But what backup methods can you harness? How can you utilize these data protection methods effectively to protect your sensitive information? Here we focus on the two primary methods and how best to harness them.
Offline Data Protection Methods
Offline backup methods are still viable. Optimizing them requires you to embrace these best practices.
Safe Disposal of Sensitive Data on Smartphones and PCs
Knowing how to safely dispose of your sensitive data on these devices can assist you in optimizing them. For instance, you can utilize a particular app to overwrite their hard drives before disposing of old PCs. It also helps to delete all the data before you dispose of smartphones. Otherwise, intelligent hackers can find them and glean sensitive data from these devices.
Shred Redundant Documents
You also have to shred all physical documents containing sensitive information. For instance, all receipts, credit offers, insurance forms, and bank statements should be made unintelligible before disposal. Otherwise, thieves can glean the critical information they contain and abuse it to steal identities.
Lock Physical Rooms
Lock up all rooms that keep physical gadgets storing critical data. Don’t forget to lock away all PCs and other offline materials containing sensitive data.
No Writing Passwords Down
You need to train all your employees never to write down their passwords. For instance, writing their passwords to shared company computers can accidentally leak into the wrong hands.
Utilize Cameras
A good idea is to use CCTV cameras in your office to monitor all proceedings. With this data protection method, you can easily monitor any illegal activity or attempt to access safes or rooms with restricted information.
Protect Keyboards
Training your staff to shield their keyboards when keying in their passwords is also essential. This way, it becomes easier to avoid keyword theft.
Encrypt Your Hard Drives
Lastly, encode all your laptops’ hard drives. Encryption is one of the most secure offline data protection methods, which ensures that nobody can access your critical information if you lose your laptop.
Online Data Protection Methods
Online data security methods also require care and tact to reap the most from them. Here are ways of doing it.
Don’t Overshare on Social Media
These days social media is the “in thing.” Therefore, many enterprises want to prove to the world that they are “also social.” However, sharing your data on these platforms sparingly and carefully is prudent. Otherwise, identity thieves can steal it and cause you trouble.
Mind Your Passwords
Did you know intelligent hackers can crack 90% of all passwords within seconds? A weak password is one of the most accessible routes hackers use to break into your systems. Moreover, avoid doubling your email access codes for any other account because your login data and forgotten access codes land there.
Utilize a VPN
Access the web over a VPN, which can protect you against hackers and spies who aim to steal your details while transacting online.
Don’t Forget to Utilize 2-FA.
You may also utilize 2-factor verification as an extra layer to boost your password protection.
Utilize Encrypted Cloud Services
Fortify your online protection by encryption from a reputable cloud service provider. Check out and ensure your vendor offers local encoding and decoding for your vital information. This way, the service provider will be responsible for decoding and encoding your PC data for secure cloud storage, and nobody will access your data without permission.
Double-check Everyone
An effective strategy is to screen every person you “meet” online. For example, if they reach out to you claiming to represent popular organizations that you know, avoid providing any sensitive information to them until their belonging to that organization is proven.
You finally have it at your fingertips. The ball is in your court to utilize these facts and ideas to reap big from your online and offline data protection methods.
