How to Protect the Data in Your Computer

The most valuable thing in your computer, network, blog, or social networking site is the data you place in it. Your data may include personal information, passwords, bank accounts, and the like. No wonder then that unscrupulous people will move heaven and earth and invest in technologies to steal your information. Thus, you need to take measures in protecting your cache of information.

Let us start with the most rudimentary method, which is physical protection. Place a hidden proximity alarm switch near your desktop. If an intruder approaches your computer to copy your data, the alarm will trigger, probably scaring him off. Next, you need to make a backup of your data often. This is probably the most important step in protection. If you need more sophisticated options, you can use third-party backup programs. Another important precaution is to set permissions on your files. That includes password protecting them. If you are sharing your computer with someone, you need to utilise file-level permissions.

For extra security for data in your disk, use an encrypting file system (EFS), which most operating systems support. An EFS uses a combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption for performance and security. Note though that someone using a sniffer program to capture data packets might be able to read the data in an EFS file if you send it across networks. Finally, hide your data with a stenography program. With this program, you can hide a text file under an MP3 music file, a JPG graphics file, or even another text file. A stenography program is typically used in conjunction with an encryption application.