How to protect your data

Keyboard Specialists are experts in providing top of the range security keyboards, which include Smart Cards and Biometric devices to lock your computer and keyboards when you’re not around. All seems a bit dramatic when you’re not a large, corporate organisation and for someone who doesn’t store company details – what if you’re just at home? Or want to protect some general data, well KBS can answer those questions too. Here is KBS’ 6 steps to having secure data storage:

1. Backing up data early and often.
Computers have evolved since they were first developed, and backing up data has always been around from day 1. Having to save documents on a floppy disk, CD or a memory stick, just in case anything happened to the PC in use.
It might be an old trick when taking into consideration Microsoft backs up all unsaved information using an automated saving function, however it is an old trick we still need to use.
Backing up data onto a CD or a memory stick and keeping this in a secure place is one way to ensure information doesn’t get lost easily.

2. Use file-level and share-level security.
If you are working on a shared network or a computer where multiple people have access – ensure permissions are given for files and folders on a strict need-to-know basis, to ensure only limited, authorised people have access to documents.
Using a password protection / log-in system, information is kept stored from un-authorised access – which brings us onto our next point…

3. Password protection of documents.
Through using Microsoft Office especially, individual passwords can be added to documents to protect individual information. KBS would recommend doing this if using a shared PC to protect personal information or information which is private.
Passwords should be safe and personal, these should not be shared. To follow on from this, we all get annoyed when we change the password to our email accounts and we must use lower case, upper case, numbers and symbols – however this is the most protective way of producing a password.

4. Use EFS encryption.
An encrypting file system can be free and is sometimes incorporated into the likes of your Microsoft package and Internet Explorer. This system will protect individual files and folders.

5. Use disk encryption.
When backing up data on a disk, encryption can be used which protects the information and converts it to be completely unreadable. This encryption uses software or hardware to securely save every bit of data that goes on that disk.

6. Run Anti-Virus Software
And finally, KBS’ last technique to keep data safe and secure is to regularly run anti-virus software through your system.

Next time the King of the World emails you telling you that you have won 1 million pounds, and you click on the link, malware is automatically transferred to your PC to destroy any data. Regularly run anti-virus systems ensure your computer is kept as safe as possible without any worms wriggling round your system.

So there are Keyboard Specialists’ top 6 tips for keeping data safe and secure at home and in the office.

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