We’ve all seen the headlines – reports of laptops containing vital state secrets or sensitive data being left on trains, the chaos this can cause and the retribution it brings down on the luckless owner, especially if they happen to work for a bank. The most obvious answer is to never leave your laptop on a train. But if the worst happens, how can you ensure that your important data is secure?

Passwords – the Weakest Link

Leaving aside a momentary lapse in concentration causing you to leave your laptop on the 5.15 from Liverpool Street station, the weakest link in any data security system is inevitably the passwords that people choose. Although we’ve all heard it before, having the same password for all your systems is a technological faux pas of extraordinary proportions. Rather than having to break a series of passwords to gain access to your data, a hacker only has to find one, and then all of your data is wide open. That can include bank account details, email address books, PayPal account details, even your Ebay history. So rule #1 is always have different passwords for each data area you wish to protect.

Rule #2 is make sure those passwords are not only secure, but also difficult to decipher. Mother’s maiden names, pet names and birthdays are not secure passwords. A random mix of letters and numbers is usually the best form of password. It may be difficult to remember, but as long as you keep a (secure!) record of those passwords, it will also Cialis Professional be very difficult for anyone else to crack them either.

Encryption – a Key Component in Data Protection

If your laptop contains important information that you’d rather didn’t become public knowledge, an encryption program is a worthwhile addition. There are plenty of free encryption programs that can be downloaded from the Internet that offer you a level of protection even if your passwords are bypassed and a hacker gains access to your computer. Returning to the previous point, remember that a good encryption program will never compensate for a bad password, but it will slow your average hacker down.

Programs such as TrueCrypt are designed to create an encrypted drive, where you can store your sensitive data. But remember to keep the password to your encrypted files safe, because without that password, you will not be able to access the data. In theory, all encryption can be hacked (an ‘un-hackable’ encryption program has yet to be created), but having some encryption on sensitive data is better than nothing at all. Encryption programs also tend to slow down the machine’s operation, which can be annoying for some users. But not as annoying as having their data stolen…

Biometrics

The most modern laptops have inbuilt biometrics as an additional layer of security. The laptop will only be accessible if a recognised fingerprint is swiped across the biometrics reader. These are state of the art technology features, but can be sporadic in reality. Also remember that once your biometrics is encoded with your fingerprint, nobody else can use that computer so they do offer a good level of protection for the average user. You might have to swipe your finger more than once to get the laptop to boot up properly, though!

Back Up Regularly

A great investment is an external hard drive, on which you can back up your laptop files regularly, keeping a spare copy of those files if your laptop should decide to disappear into the vacuum that is the train station’s ‘Lost Property’ office. It is advisable to keep back up files stored unencrypted, so that they will be easily accessible should you need to reinstall them into another computer.

If you want to keep your laptop data truly secure, make sure that your laptop is never out of your sight, that your passwords are as strong as they possibly can be and that you incorporate encryption, biometrics and a regular back up into your daily laptop routine. Most importantly, never leave your laptop on the 5.15 from Liverpool Street station…

Author Bio: IT247.com has one of the UK’s largest catalogues of IT, consumer electronics and related accessories including laptop computers, at highly competitive prices and best availability. Alison Brundle Design Co-Ordinator IT247 http://www.it247.com

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: backup, laptop, laptop, computers