Ways To Protect Your Data Online And Offline

The online world grows stronger and stronger with each passing year. Keeping your data safe both online and offline requires vigilance. Just as there are always improvements being made to enhance the way people do business online, there are people knowledgeable enough to abuse that technology for purposes of identity theft and other forms of cyber terrorism. If you really want to make the online experience the best that it can be now and in the long term, then you need to consider the following best ways to protect data, both online and off.

1) Encryption technologies

Your hosting provider and software that you use to build and develop your website should work in agreement with one another to stay on top of the latest in encryption technologies. You don't want your users to suffer as a result, so make sure that it doesn't affect usability, but at the same time be vigilant about what you have in place to protect you from harm.

2) Content control

Certain documents and writings should not be released to the public, so make sure that you have set content control standards in place that limit access to only the things you wish for the public to see. As far as other content is concerned, make sure that you trust the people, who are representing you, and keep vital things close to the vest at all times.

3) Personal information

Never ever ever share personal information across non-secure locations. Social security numbers, passwords, and other pertinent financial information should be off limits. You may even wish to partner with an outside firm that specializes in protecting personal data, just to ensure some kind of security with regards to your insurance.

4) Accessibility

Passwords remain one of the strongest things that you can have in the fight against online crooks. But you've got to be smart about how you use them to be effective. It is recommended that you use a different password for all of your important emails and accounts, and that you store these passwords in a notebook instead of the desktop on your computer. Cyber thieves are way too advanced in how they are able to break on to computers and make them available for their own personal use. You may even be sharing your hard drive with a thief and not know it. So if it has any direct or indirect tie to your reputation or finances, then you should probably forgo sharing it or storing it on modern technological devices.

Six Cloud Computing Security Topics

As cloud computing grows, and even more businesses contemplate moving their operations in to the cloud, one of the greatest concerns that is raised many times is security. Is the cloud really secure?

The fact is that storing your information in your cloud is really just like, or even more, secure than keeping your information in traditional infrastructure. Like traditional infrastructure, however, as a good customer in addition to a professional you need to take into account a long list of security checkpoints. These checkpoints represent possible cracks in your own cloud infrastructure security, and you'll just want to shore these up to keep your information as secure as it can be.

Your Staff

Unfortunately, the leading threats to both cloud hosting and traditional security will often be the ones right under your nose. Hire staff who're trustworthy and depend on your own instincts. Don't be reluctant to evaluate your employees for proper usage of internet resources. Create pro-security polices, train your employees on these polices, and enforce them.

Passwords

Your employees must protect their passwords. Put together your IT system making sure that regular password changes are normal and encourage strong, complex passwords. Weak passwords provide straightforward accessibility for individuals that want to get hold of your confidential information.

Firewalls

Establish strong software and hardware firewalls to maintain your information secure and out of the hands of people which do not have business with it. This might require blocking popular websites from employee use. Don't be reluctant to do this. Surfing the Internet really should not be a choice during the clock.

Data Backup

Cloud hosting enables all your data to be backed up. If you want to leave some data off the cloud, however, it's going to be vital that you keep a tightly secured system for backup. Off-site backup is usually the safest option within this scenario.

Software Patches

No matter what which operating-system that you are running, every software package used in your corporation ought to be kept up-to-date by installing patches as they're released from your software provider. Software that is not properly patched will not likely protect against the most up-to-date virus and is practically a door for individuals that aspire to access your confidential information.

Access Control

Cloud hosting is often a fabulous way of storing data, but it is useless if care is not used to protect outlets and control access. Mobile devices allow it to become simple to work from practically any location, but when they're left unsecured, they provide for easy access to anybody who comes to take them. If you choose to allow staff to gain access to the cloud using their personal devices, create policies surrounding these devices. Require password access and train employees to respect security protocols.

Closing

You may want to review Wikipedia's section on cloud computing security. They have a wealth of information and resources for your education.