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Devising a data security strategy

December 9, 2013 by Robert Siciliano — speaker, IDTheftSecurity.com

Whether you are a work-at-home employee, a road warrior, or even a small business, chances are you have data to protect — and so this all pertains to you.

Fundamentals

Antivirus protection isn’t enough: A free antivirus package is good, but it might not update automatically — and you need your antivirus to be today’s version. Spend a couple bucks and get antiphishing, antispyware and firewall protection.

Browsers need to be updated: An old, outdated browser is a nightmare, and is often riddled with holes that criminals can sneak a bug through. Install the latest update ASAP, and set your computer to download future updates automatically.

Updated operating systems: Set your OS to automatically update, as well, as manual updates are often forgotten and missed.

Disk encryption: Your device might come equipped with the ability to encrypt individual files, folders or the entire disk. If not, there are many excellent (and free) third-party encryption programs.

Backing up: Keep at least two local backups of all your data in case a device fails. I use external drives and GoodSync to back up everything every hour. Also, invest in cloud-based storage that has encryption. It can cost as little $100 annually — sometimes even less than that.

Password management: It’s not OK to have one password for 30 accounts. You need 30 different passwords, and this can only be accomplished with a password manager.

Wireless WiFi protection: Having open WiFi that lets your neighbor piggyback on your connection is a bad idea. Use WPA2 encryptions that are built into the router. When using public WiFi, use a virtual private network software such as Hotspot Shield VPN to encrypt your data.

Mobile device security: Mobiles are small computers that store your data or provide access to your cloud-based accounts. Mobiles need to have password and antivirus protection, just like PCs. WiFi on a mobile is no different than on a laptop, so use a VPN on your mobile devices, too.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to Hotspot Shield VPN, and the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen Disclosures. For his free e-book, text — SECURE your@emailaddress — to 411247.

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