How to Safely and Securely Store Your Digital Files

Sep 22, 2023

Image: Unsplash/Viktor Talashuk

Gone are the days when you’d need huge filing cabinets and boxes of paperwork. These days, most people store documents and files through digital means, either saving them directly onto their device, using external storage or uploading them to the cloud. This is much easier and saves costs on paper, but is it safe?

While storing files on your computer is certainly easier, there are data security issues to consider. Not only that but having only digital copies of your documents could mean you run into issues if you ever lose your device or your storage becomes corrupted. However, there are ways you can safely store them and not have to worry.

Backing Up Data

One of the most important things you can do to ensure your digital files are safe is to back them up regularly. Whether you save all your files to the cloud, your device or an external storage unit, you should always back them up with at least one other copy in another location. This way, you prevent loss of data due to memory issues, lost devices or other problems.

If you do run into issues with memory, it’s not necessarily the end of the world. SD card data recovery has become a lot easier. However, making backups will still save you a lot of stress and worries should you ever have a problem. You can back up physical documents this way too, ensuring that you always have a copy ready if you need it.

Using Encryption

Encryption helps keep your data secure, preventing it from being misused if it falls into the wrong hands. Whether you’re looking to protect personal and private information, financial records or client data, you should always use encryption to prevent unauthorised users from accessing it. Although it sounds complex, encrypting your files has never been easier.

There are lots of data protection tools that do it for you, and all you need to do is safely store the password or mnemonic phrases. You can use encryption to secure the local files on your computer, tablet or phone, and it’s possible to set it up on external hard drives and USB drives too. If you’re using a cloud data system, ensure that it encrypts your files for an added layer of protection.

Be Aware of Privacy

When using the web, it’s easy to get carried away sharing information and giving apps and programs access to our files. If you’re worried about data security and protecting your digital documents, you should also be concerned about online privacy. This is especially true when you’re using free services, which often make their money by collecting data on users and selling it to ad companies.

You can stay safe and keep your documents secure by being more mindful of which apps and services you use. Check what kind of permissions you’ve given to applications on your devices, and ensure you’re not giving away all of your data. Always read through the full terms and conditions of any service you use too.

Secure Your Internet Connection

Using your device on an insecure network may result in your data being accessible to other people, which is definitely something you want to avoid. You should secure your home WiFi network and generally avoid using open networks. However, you can still use an open network safely if you know how to create an encrypted tunnel between your device and the hotspot.

While it’s rare to face attacks through WiFi networks, it’s best not to take the risk, especially if you’re worried about personal documents. As long as you use a secure connection, you should be able to safely and securely protect all your files without having to worry about losing them.

Why Data Security is Important

Data security means protecting your data from unauthorised usage. Whether it’s your personal data or you run a business that collects customer data, it’s incredibly important to secure it safely. Failing to secure it could mean your personal banking information and identity are at risk of being misused. If you run a business and fail to take data security seriously, you could face major fines.

In the modern world, cyber attacks have become more frequent as criminals look to profit from digital technology. If left unsecured, your personal data could be sold or ransomed for money. Even if you might think your personal data isn’t very interesting, you never know how it may be used against you if it falls into the wrong hands.

See:  Small Businesses Incur Greatest Loss of Cyber Attacks | 67% Suffer Repeat Attacks Within 12 Months

You can secure your data correctly by focusing on physical, network and system security. This means having special measures in place to restrict physical and online access to your files. You can use stronger passwords, encryption and firewalls to improve security.

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