Take a moment to think about the value of the data stored on your computer systems in your home or office. How much is your customer database work to you? How about those family photos? Can you put a price on this data?
There are several ways to ensure data security. Two main ways to ensure that your data is secure is to have adequate virus protection and to have a back up plan in place for all critical data. This becomes exceptionally important if you have your data stored on only one computer in your home or office. Hard drive failures are common. Just like anything with moving parts, hard drives begin to fail over time from routine use.
With virus protection, it is not enough o just have it on your system. It must be installed and configured properly; it must be updated regularly; and it has to run routinely to determine if there are threats on your computer. At Friendly Computers in Webster, TX, we recommend AVG for virus protection.
Multiple options exist for backing up the data stored on your computer system. Some systems come with two hard drives and the user can set up options to back up data from one hard drive to the other. Using an external hard drive is another options. These drives are easy to attach to our systems, easy to configure, and portable. Jump drives, sometimes known as flash drives or thumb drives, are another option. These compact hard drives plug into your USB port and allow you to not only back up data, but also allow you to quickly and easily move data from one system to another. If your system has a CD or DVD burner installed, data can be stored on this medium as well. And finally, there are many options for online/remote back up services like Carbonite (http://www.carbonite.com/). If you currently have back up options in place, it is important to check it periodically to ensure that it is configured properly and actually backing up the data regularly.
When you are thinking about data security, remember wireless security. The majority of wireless connections are unsecured. With a simple configuration setting, wireless connections can be password protected. Without this protection, others can connect to your wireless service. A typical installation of a wireless network does not necessarily include securing that connection and it is possible to access sensitive information on your computer systems through a wireless connection.
Living in an area like South Houston, close to the Gulf Coast, we experience hurricanes, flooding, and widespread power outages. It is important to put a back up plan in place to ensure that you do not lose those precious family photos or that priceless customer database. many of the options for data security and back up are inexpensive and easy to use. Put a plan in place today.
Have questions about your back up plan? Give Friendly Computers a call. We would be happy to evaluate your plan, ensure that you have adequate virus protection, and check the security of your wireless connections. 281-554-5500.
By friendlycomputers at 2010-01-28
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