Whether you are concerned about the security of your personal documents, or your employer has a strict policy around data and privacy, protecting your digital files is extremely important. Losing files, having your data accessed by an outside threat, or your entire system being wiped are all real and possible dangers to your security. Fortunately, there are plenty of precautions you can take to ensure that your data is kept as secure as possible. Take a look at some of these useful examples.
Keep Files Backed Up
Keeping your files stored in more than one place is the best way to protect them from accidental deletion. An external hard drive can be great for this, but it takes time to upload data from your device. This is why the additional measure of cloud storage is so valuable. If you learn how to change iCloud on Mac, you can keep your files backed up at all times. Should anything happen to your device, you will be able to access your cloud-stored data from another location. You won’t need to panic about permanent loss again.
Protect Your Devices
When most people think about digital security, they first imagine encrypted documents or password-locked accounts to avoid distant and malicious hackers. However, data can be at risk by simply not paying enough attention to the security of the devices themselves. Leaving your screen visible in a public place or having your laptop stolen are just as dangerous to the security of your files as a solely digital intrusion. Set your computer to lock after a few minutes of inactivity so that if you forget to close it, passersby don’t have the opportunity to look at your screen. Be careful of who you choose to share your devices with. Even family members can make unwise decisions about what they do on your computer, so make sure your digital boundaries are clearly set.
Password Protection
Passwords are not just essential for securing your online accounts. You can use passwords for accessing files and documents to keep them safe from unwelcome parties. Make sure that you choose different passwords for each account, file, or document so that if someone guesses one, they can’t automatically access everything. Strong passwords should be long, a mixture of characters, and unrelated to your life so that people cannot find clues to work them out. Bad password ideas include important dates from your past and the names of pets or loved ones. A series of random words mixed with numbers and symbols is recommended, although the ideal password wouldn’t resemble a word at all. Of course, this can make it more difficult to remember, but keeping a well-hidden list of passwords in a secure place such as a drawer or safe can help with retrieval.
Be Cautious When Sharing
In general, you should be careful about who you send files to. Even if you trust the recipient, make sure that the channels you use to share data are encrypted and secure.