6 ways to protect your data

In the modern times almost everything has been computerized and as a result computers have turned to be some of the most essential tools that we cannot work without. A computer serves as entertainment center offering access to games, online and offline videos/music, and the entire Internet. Likewise it acts as a tool for collecting, analyzing creating, disseminating and storing important information of all kinds.

When you think about it, the most valuable thing on your computer is created and saved or stored in it. If your computer is lost, busted, or stolen, switching to a new one has little effect on the entertainment side. Operating systems and applications can always be reinstalled, but user-created data is unique and if lost, may be irreplaceable. Therefore, unless you've properly protected the personal data on that system, a theft or loss could become a data disaster! Here's a look at ways you can protect that data.

Perform regular maintenance. Learn how to use the utilities that diagnose your system for problems. It is a good idea to run a disk-scanning program, defragment your harddrive, or whatever else your system might need. These utilities can prevent little problems from becoming big problems, and will keep your system running at top speed
Hide Your Valuables
If a burglar breaks into your house, will she find your valuables lying around in plain sight? Or have you hidden them away safely? Even if you don't really anticipate burglary, hiding your treasures makes sense. By the same token, even though your security suite or antivirus really should fend off data-stealing Trojans, protecting your personal data on the chance one might get through is just common sense. Having your data locked down will also help if that burglar makes off with your laptop.
You already have the resources to lock down many of your documents. If you store financial information in Excel spreadsheets, use Excel's built-in ability to password-protect those documents. Do the same for any sensitive Word documents, PDFs, or any other document with encryption capability.
.Skip the Recycle Bin
When you need to dispose of papers that contain private information, you don't toss them in the recycling bin with the newspapers. Rather, you put them through the shredder. When deleting sensitive files, you should likewise avoid Windows's Recycle Bin.
Deleting a file in Windows actually just moves it to the Recycle Bin. If you hold Shift while deleting the file, Windows skips the Recycle Bin. Even so, the file's data remains on disk until overwritten. A persistent data thief could use forensic utilities to recover that information.
Many security suites include a virtual shredder that securely deletes sensitive files. This type of utility overwrites the file's data anywhere from one time to over 30 times before deletion. Three overwrites is probably plenty; forensic recovery experts at DriveSavers confirm that overwriting data even once makes recovery nearly impossible.
Among the security suites that offer a built-in shredder are: Bitdefender Total Security 2012, G Data InternetSecurity 2012, Kaspersky PURE Total Security, McAfee Total Protection 2012, and TrustPort Total Protection 2012.
Encrypt It!
A data-stealing Trojan will grab what it can get easily. Unless you're the target of a personally directed hack attack, you can figure that even simple encryption will defeat the Trojan. Got a sensitive file you need to keep, rather than shred? At the very least, copy it into an encrypted ZIP file and then shred the original.
Some security suites include an option to create a "vault" for storing files. The encrypted storage vault looks and acts like an ordinary folder when you've opened it using the password, but when it's locked the files within are completely inaccessible. Among the suites that offer this feature are: Bitdefender Total Security 2012, McAfee Total Protection 2012, Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012, and TrustPort Total Protection 2012.
Keeping that encrypted data in external storage is even safer than encrypting it in place. There are many encrypting USB storage solutions with varying capabilities. IronKey Personal S200 boasts a super-strong case along with super-strong encryption. Defender F200 + Bio will only unlock for the person whose fingerprints were registered. And LOK-IT Secure Flash Drive, with its onboard PIN-pad, can be connected to any USB-capable device, regardless of operating system. Any of these can stay in your pocket when not actively in use.
Keep It Offsite
PCs break down, laptops get stolen, files get lost. A backup copy is the ultimate security for your data, but if you keep the backup with the computer a single disaster can take out both at once. A hosted online backup service encrypts your data and keeps it in a safe location far, far away.
At the very least, protect your most important files using the free small-capacity subscription that many of these services offer. MozyHome 2.0 offers 2GB of storage free; iDrive (2011) and SugarSync kick that free offer up to 5GB. On the other hand you can burn a copy of your data onto DVDs /CDs or transfer to an external portable drive then safely store these backup elsewhere.
Update and upgrade your archives. Years ago you archived your data to a zip drive. Now you decide to use that data as a baseline - are you sure there is still a zip drive that can read your data? As technology changes, it is a good idea to transfer your data to a current data storage standard so that you aren't stuck with irretrievable data.
Try this simple ideas and you will save a lot in the future

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Written by thecodewhiz

Thecodewhiz is a tech savvy internet enthusiast,Designer,ICT Support Specialist, amatuer Dj and Photographer who loves sharing information.Find Technology tips and tricks and more here...