Keeping Data Safe

Keeping Data Safe

1. Physical Barriers - Offices have secure passes for access, especially important places in the building. Put systems in place like fire prevention or carbon dioxide fire extinguishers.

2. Password Protection - Use strong passwords with captal letters, numbers and symbols.

3. Access Levels - Users can be given certain access levels to different folders on a computer or server. Only let certain people see important files and folders.

4. Anti-Virus Software - Software like SOFOS, Symmantec and AVG can protect your computer from viruses. A famous virus that caused lots of problems around the world was the I LOVE YOU virus.

5. Firewalls - This monitors all the data entering the network and blocks anything, which it thinlks is harmful.

6. Encryption - This uses algorithms to encode data that you send across the internet in to a format that can only be read by someone who has the same key.

7. Backup and Recovery - School backs up all your work. Every night,it copies all your work on to external hard disks. These are held off-site so that if anything happens to school, once the hardware is replaced, your work can be copied back on to the server.

8. Threats

   • Computer Viruses - These small programs can be received via email or on a memory stick. They can "self replicate" which means they can make copies of themselves and cause networks to fail.
   • Opportunist Threat - People find a computer unattended. It has been left logged on. It is easy to use the computer to access sensitive personal and company information. Someone could easily log into your email or Amazon account and do damage. They could also, potentially steal your customer database.
   • Other Malware - Malware can be Internet worms, trojan horses, and spyware. They often run without you even knowing.
   • Phishing - Phishing comes via email and often pretend to be from a bank. They might tell you that you need to verify your security information via a website. When you go to the website, it looks like a proper bank website. You enter your bank details and the criminals drain your account.
   • Accidental Damage - If you drop a laptop, the screen might crack but even worse, the hard disk may become damaged which means you can't get to your data. You might spill a drink on your computer which damages it beyond repair. Again you will lose your data and it is the data that is important to you.