Putting personal data on the internet has been around for years. However, it has been getting progressively more popular recently. For some people, they may have more personal data in the cloud than in their house. Instead of notebooks, diaries and address books, most people now put it all on their phones and have a blog instead. All this information needs to be kept safe to make sure no-one steals your identity. Here are some of the ways you can try to keep your data safe.
Backup Your Data
One of the most important ways to keep your data safe is to keep it backed up at home. To do this, you just need to have a second external hard drive that you can use to make a copy of your computer’s hard drive. That way, if your computer breaks or is damaged by a hacker, you haven’t lost everything. You can back up your data to the cloud, though that also depends on how safe and secure the servers you are using are.
Regularly Change Passwords
Changing your passwords is an effective way of stopping people from accessing your data. It might be that someone has gained access to your account, but you don’t realize. If you change your password each month or two, any breach won’t cause too much damage. If you think that your data has been stolen or accessed, contact the company involved. They can call in an expert company like Secure Data Recovery to discover how bad the breach was. They should then keep you updated about the breach and tell you how much data was taken.
Encrypt Data in Portable Files
If you are taking any personal data or files with you, then you need to make sure the data is encrypted. If you lose the memory stick or it gets stolen, then it could be potentially harmful to your data. Many types of software can encrypt memory cards and sticks to make them more difficult to use by anyone else. If you are transporting your laptop, then this can be more difficult, but there are still ways that you can keep an encrypted section which contains all your personal data. Mobile phones are not something people always associate with holding personal data, but they contain a lot. In most cases, a security password or fingerprint will stop people getting into your phone. There are also ways you can wipe your phone remotely to destroy anything on it.
Deleting Files
You might think that deleting a file from your hard drive destroys it, but it doesn’t. All it does is wipe the name of the file; the data is still on the drive until it gets overwritten. If you are trying to delete personal information, you need to format the drive or use software that can permanently delete that part of the drive.
Thankfully, there are many ways that you can protect your data from others, though you need to make sure you are doing all you can. So, if you still want to enjoy the benefits of the internet and be kept safe from any potential identity thieves it is important to make sure your data is encrypted and secure.
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