Tips to Protect Your Data – When Burying it in the Backyard Isn’t an Option, thanks to Big Dog Shred Bins

 

Data breaches are on the rise, up 38 % from 2011 to 2012 in the US alone, you or someone you know has probably fallen victim to a breach of personal data. Businesses are not immune to having important information stolen, data thieves are becoming more innovative at sniffing out your businesses information. File Solutions Ltd has dug up some tips from the internet to help protect the critical information of your business to fall into the paws of data thieves.

 

Determine Critical Data.

 In order to create a plan that will be effective in protecting data, a business needs to look at all of its data and figure out the differing levels of importance and activity. The most critical information needs the most rigorous measures to keep it protected, while duplicate and less sensitive data should be made to be more easily accessible. Your business wants to keep its data protected but you also want everything to run smoothly as well.

 

Establish A Reliable Backup Plan.

It’s happened to most of us at one time or another, your computer freezes or crashes , and always at the worst time it seems. Make sure to back up your data regularly just in case this happens,  this way all information is backed up at an offsite data storage facility in case something should happen (fire, flooding) to your business.

 

Limit The Number Of Users.

Mistakes happen, more often than not a data breach isn`t the fault of the software in place, it`s the person using it. Limiting the number of people who have access to the most critical of information can prevent this from happening.

 

Make Sure Information Is Encrypted.

Encryption is the linchpin of any data protection plan, whether data is stored offsite or onsite. Backup services usually encrypt your information for you, but make sure to encrypt the information on any company laptop or junk drive, that way if it is lost or stolen there`s little another person can do with the data on the device.

 

Pass Phrases – Yes! Passwords – Not So Much

Pass phrases are quickly becoming the preferred security measure when it comes to authorized access to company data. These are expressions or combinations of words that are easier for the user to remember than random combinations of letters and numbers yet much more difficult to infiltrate than common personal information . So if you still use your birthdate or  “Password 1” for the love of the data gods, STOP!

 

Protect Against Viruses.

Viruses can be very disruptive to the operation of a business, and are also a threat to security as well. With a virus your computer becomes vulnerable to hackers, giving them access to sensitive and confidential data. Always keep your anti-virus program up to date to make sure your business is protected from such intrusions.

 Hopefully with these tips you can prevent your business from a critical data breach or loss, prevent yourself and your company from ending up in the dog house!

 

thanks to Big Dog Shred Bins for these tips

About Hard Drive Destruction Services

 

If you’re planning on upgrading or disposing of your old computer, hard drive destruction services may be your secure solution. Many people tend to think that deleting the files or erasing the hard drive will be enough to get rid of any important information on the drive before they sell, donate or recycle a used computer. The problem with this is that there are some pretty powerful recovery programs that identity thieves can use to restore all that supposedly deleted information. The most reliable and sure way to dispose of information on a hard drive and make sure it’s gone for good is by having the hard drive shredded.

Hard Drive Destruction Services Provide Secure Disposal

Hard drive destruction services will physically destroy the hard drive by grinding it into small bits of metal with the use of blades mounted on rotary drums. Used hard drives are thrown down a chute where they are ground into tiny bits. It works much like a wood chipper, except that this machine is strong enough to chop up metal. The hard drive parts are then sorted. A magnet is used to remove the metal and the materials are sent for recycling.

Hard Drive Destruction Services Out-Perform Erasure Programs

Businesses, institutions and educational facilities often have large numbers of hard drives containing personal or sensitive data that needs to be disposed of properly whenever they upgrade or replace old computers. In this case, using a hard drive erasure program would be a slow and tedious process, since it can take quite a while to erase even a 40 gig hard drive. Today’s newer and larger drives can take hours and when several drives are involved, it may simply not be practical and in many cases not as secure as needed. Hard drive destruction services are really a more logical solution.

Hard Drive Destruction Services Meet Government Standards

New government standards require that any business that handles sensitive and personal information is responsible for disposing of that information properly, and the only real way to do that with hard drives that have reached the end of their usefulness is through complete physical destruction. Hard drive destruction services will also provide you with documentation of destruction so you have proof that the hard drive was properly disposed of and you can’t get that with a do-it-yourself erasure program.