• Technology

For businesses, data security is of primary importance. You need to not only ensure that your data is properly backed up, but you must also ensure that your security systems are as professional and resourceful as a full-scale organization with a hardcore IT infrastructure. Data loss could have disastrous effects, adversely affecting productivity and profitability. Inadvertently leaking confidential information or letting it fall into the wrong hands could also cost you your reputation or competitive edge.

Data security can be compromised from anywhere, but it is nearly always human error or complacency that is behind most forms of data damage or loss. You could fall victim to a virus or spyware, your passwords could be stolen, your hard drives could crash, and even with all software measures in place, you could lose your data due to a fire or other natural disaster. Here’s what you need to do to ensure that your data is safe and secure:

Malware:
It goes without saying that you need good antivirus software, but you also need to ensure that it is updated every day. Some programs now update every hour. Check the features of the business versions of antivirus programs and Internet security suites, as these include more robust intrusion prevention and central manageability. If you have multiple computers and devices at home, and especially if multiple people use them from time to time, you’ll need to ensure adequate security policies are in place. Avoid using file sharing and trying out other non-essential software on a production computer.

Installing fewer programs ensures that the system will be cleaner overall, and the chances of malware-friendly entry points opening up will be minimized. Working in an account without administrator privileges and making sure that no one else has permission to run executables will also greatly reduce the risk of a malware infection.

If you’re serious about security, you can invest in hardware that sits between your devices and Internet connection to monitor and filter traffic, which is commonly known as a security appliance. You’ll need a qualified professional to assess your requirements and suggest cost-effective solutions.

Password security:
Even if your passwords are robust and changed often, you need to be sure of who you trust them with. Malware on your computer could also be logging keystrokes to reconstruct passwords you type in, so make sure your working environment is clean of all threats. The last thing you want is to lose your hard-earned money because someone got your bank account password.

Backups:
You definitely can’t run a business without a comprehensive backup strategy in place. Plan your data storage needs in advance, and identify projects that need daily/hourly backups versus records and other documents that need weekly or monthly backups. You need at least one on-site container for convenience, and one located far away for safety in case of an unforeseen disaster. Online backup services such as Box.net are surprisingly cheap, and allow you to back up files and access them from anywhere in the world.

Encryption:
If you’re worried about the security of your own and your clients’ data, it’s pretty easy and free to use encryption tools such as TrueCrypt (www.truecrypt.org). Depending on what type of work you do, you might even be legally obliged to keep information confidential. Anyone might decide to rifle through documents that you leave in accessible places, and you never know who might find a lost pendrive or recover files from a hard drive you thought had crashed for good.

Tags:
business, data security