According to research, the largest problem facing organizations these days is the danger of data loss. While there is no quick fix for this concern, there are a few things that an organization can do to safeguard its data against disaster.
Since so much of our information is stored on today’s modern day computer systems, it is important that these systems are kept up to date and that their security is considered. The organization’s information protection team should regularly review the systems to see what additional measures can be taken to enhance their protection.
Data is not the only thing that can be lost.
One of the main threats is human error, when employees of the organization destroy or misplace important files. All information on a computer system needs to be kept safe, so each employee is asked to keep a backup copy of all their important documents and files.
It is also important to regularly back up the files and other files stored on the hard drive and the storage media. The organization may even take out the trash can in order to make it easier to collect the files one by one. It is also possible to have the drives formatted, so that the organization can download the data from a hard drive onto a system that is easily managed by the computer.
Infection of viruses and worms is a major threat to the safety of your data.
However, the most obvious and the easiest way to protect against this danger is by not opening email attachments that are not digitally signed with a digital certificate. This protects your data from being infected by viruses or worms that could be built into the software that is the key to your files.
Another simple step that can be taken to protect your data against disaster is to create and maintain firewalls around your network. This ensures that only authorized users can access the network.
In the past, only the administrators were able to log into the network, but today all computer users are required to have a firewall in order to gain access to the network. A security program that you install on your network may also help to further secure the network.
If your computer is ever stolen, the thief will not be able to get access to your data. Therefore, a security program should be installed that will monitor the network for any unauthorized activity on the network. This prevents any unauthorized changes to the files, like deleting files or changing settings.
The network should also be monitored in order to detect any problems immediately. This allows for fast response and remediation options. When a problem is detected, the computer system must be shut down immediately and a security program installed that will ensure that nothing is lost from the computer.
It is also important to regularly update the virus definitions for any critical file that may be on the computer. This prevents any future viruses from harming the files. All data should be backed up regularly, at least once a week, so that it is not necessary to make extensive changes if something was to happen.
Carelessness can also be a big issue. For example, documents that are shared on a network should be encrypted or in an encrypted format. When a document is encrypted, it is more difficult for the thief to decrypt it and gain access to the information.
An important part of protecting the vital information that is stored on a computer is having the entire system securely secured from unauthorized access. While there is no guarantee that the threat of data loss will never happen, it is important that the network user is protected and that the important information is protected from unwanted attention.