Data Security

Another one that's important yet gets forgotten, data security. Quite important and certainly the one we hear the most about when CD's, USB drives, hardrives etc get left behind in taxis or on trains etc. Lets bring this into the personal environment however, and look at the security of our personal data within our own home.

Of course password protection is one way but that won't stop someone who is determined to do a smash and grab of your devices they will find ways of getting the data off and of course, anyone who has had data recovery done will know that some people will use the software maliciously. So we need to think about the physical security as well (lock and key is certainly useful here). However we don't need to go over the top to protect our data, just a few useful little bits will make it easy and secure.

My five top tips on this one really are:

1. Passwords - always use a password to protect your data it's a good barrier for when your computer is hacked
2. Don't leave personal data on cloud systems (like iCloud, OneDrive or Google Drive). You're not in control if the server gets hacked and you won't know what gets taken!
3. Keep your laptop or device safe - if you have a cabinet, keep it in there over night or when you go out. Don't advertise its presence
4. Avoid Linux and Windows on the same computer. This sounds a bit far fetched I know, but laptops dual booted with Ubuntu are quite insecure. From my experience, Ubuntu is quite good at breaking into Windows partitions and bypassing the need for passwords to access the files
5. Don't sync your data between devices. There's a whole post coming on this soon (stay tuned) but in short, the synced data can be intercepted!

Very simple and basic I know and easily considered but also, easily forgotten. Data is important to us all so keep these tips in mind and stay safe!

All the best
Ash