What Would You Do If Your Company Info Got Into the Wrong Hands?

It's a question that every business owner needs to ask him or herself: What would happen if your priceless personal or company data got into the wrong hands, or if your files disappeared in a computer meltdown? The following are some key tips to protect you and your business from the perils of lost data:


Do not unsubscribe from spam mail

If you get a spam e-mail and at the bottom it provides you with the opportunity to unsubscribe — DON’T! This only validates that you are a real person. Although the spammer may not send you spam from their e-mail address, they now realize that your account is valid and will possibly sell your name to thousands of other spammers.

Make sure the website you are visiting is secure

Before you give any personal information on a website (credit card info, etc.), make sure that you see a picture of a lock on the lower right side of your Web browser. If you can’t find it, check the name of the website you are viewing. If it says https://www.whatevername.com, the “s” attached to the “http” means that the site is secure for you to safely transmit your data over the Web.

Do NOT send any personal information to anyone via unencrypted e-mail! 

Remember, sending e-mail is like sending a postcard over the Internet — anyone can get access to your information. If you want to ensure that your documents are protected, you might want to think about subscribing to a secure file transfer service such as www.securetransmit.com.

Log off your computer at night

When leaving your office or even your home, log off your computer so no one can get access to your information.

Back up your data at least once a week

And don’t forget to do a test restore as well!

Store your backups away from your computer

It is highly recommended that you store your backups at an offsite location.