Data Is the New Oil: How to Protect Yours

Data has become one of the most valuable commodities in the world. Major corporations fight to obtain access to yours. However, you can secure it with a few different tools. Here are a couple of ways you can protect your data.

Use a Secure Password

First, you’ve got to use a secure password whenever you’re logging into your accounts. Otherwise, even a brute force hacking tool could break into them. Always make your passwords at least 8 characters long. The longer you’re making them, the more secure they’re going to be.

Also, try to use a couple of special characters when you’re first setting them up. Don’t use a string of related characters, either. For example, 123 wouldn’t be a good character sequence. As long as you’re following these rules, your passwords should be relatively secure. That’s the first step to protecting our data.

Protect Your Data

Encrypting your data would be the next most important thing you can do. Use difficult-to-crack encryption. One example of that would be PGP encryption. People in the cryptocurrency industry love using that type of encryption.

Most of the time, it’s secure enough that even law agencies have difficulty cracking it. Using something that is secure should make it impossible for anyone else to access it.

Store Things on the Cloud

Another thing you should start doing would be to use the cloud. A lot of companies offer private cloud solutions. These are great because they’re not stored on your property. That’s why nobody can access your stuff. Even if they’re able to get on your property, they won’t find anything of value there. Plus, the best cloud solutions automatically encrypt your data as well.

They’ve got great encryption algorithms, too. So, you won’t have to worry about doing it yourself. Whenever you’re uploading data, it’ll get sent to an offsite location. And, while it’s on the way, it’ll get encrypted as well. By the time it arrives, it’ll be totally safe and secure.

Keep Your Software Up-to-Date

Don’t forget to update your software regularly. Usually, developers don’t release updates to add new features. They’re patching other security issues that made it through in their first release. Hackers always do their best to crack new software. They’ll find some way to crack them a lot of the time. But, updating your software should fix any of those exploits.

Even keeping your operating system up to date should be a top priority. These updates make everything a lot more secure overall. If you’re in a rush for time, schedule them for whenever you’re sleeping. That way, it’ll update while you’re in bed. By the time you wake up, it’ll be done.

Secure Your Wireless Networks

Remember to secure your wireless networks at home. Someone could access them while they’re off your property if you haven’t done that. Even a simple WPA encryption would do a lot of good. Setting up wireless security doesn’t take a lot of time, either.

Typically, you’ll be able to encrypt them whenever you’re first setting them up. But, if you forgot to do that, you can go into your network settings. From there, look for an option labeled network security. After entering that menu, follow the prompts until you’re done.

Destroy Old Hard Drives

Don’t just throw away old hard drives. They’ve got a ton of data on them, waiting to get stolen. Instead, run a magnet over them. Magnets tend to scramble any data remaining on the hard drive. You could also break them apart using some hand tools. Doing that should make it impossible for anyone to recover the data. Only throw them away after you’ve destroyed hard drives thoroughly. That’s the only way you’ll know for sure they’re secure.

Securing Your Data Effectively

Securing data effectively takes just a bit of effort. It’ll protect you from data fraud, though. Set up a routine so you’ll do it automatically. Since data has become so valuable, lots of people look for it. However, you don’t have to let people take advantage of you. Just spend the time to secure it well, and you’ll be happy you put forth the effort.