The world of information technology is constantly evolving, leading to a persistent question on users’ minds: is my data safe? Both hardware devices and software innovations have created new opportunities for user data to be stored by external parties, and even though advancements in data security have strengthened defences, it is a persistent fact that our data is constantly under threat. Besides cyberattacks, your data may also be at risk due to unrelated variables including hardware damages, forgotten credentials, and many others. Here at Atom I.T. Repairs we specialize in critical data recovery, but also strongly advocate for responsibility and awareness when making use of devices or digital platforms in order to avoid the difficulties induced by such issues.

Backup Your Data

Whether by means of an external storage device (such as a harddisk), or via cloud storage, it is of vital importance for your data to be backed up in real time and in its totality. It is suggested to make use of various external storage options simultaneously in order to ensure that your data is never at risk of being lost. Digital platforms such as Google Drive, iCloud, and OneDrive are among the most popular cloud service providers offering a reliable service at an affordable price. Frequently updating your data to an external harddisk is also a quick and easy way of ensuring its security offline. 

Protect Passwords

On average, there is a hacker attack every 39 seconds according to a study conducted by the University of Maryland. This doesn't happen by accident, and many a time is the result of poor data security. By applying a password which is simple, and does not make use of aspects including unicase characters, special characters and numbers, it is right to assume that your data is at risk! It is also suggested to frequently update your passwords and ensure variation between one platform and the next. Although this may be a challenge to remember, Google and other search engines have created safe tools which allow passwords to be easily and safely stored while also suggesting strong password combinations for new accounts. It goes without saying that two-factor authentication (2FA) is also an immensely powerful data security development which should be applied to your accounts.

Always Verify Sources

Phishing constitutes a cyber attack which occurs by means of malicious communication. In these cases, companies or people (potentially including friends or family members) are mimicked in order to trick unsuspecting users into sharing sensitive data such as credit card details, login information, and much more. It is therefore of utmost importance to always verify the source of information received to any of your digital accounts. Many-a-time, one may easily identify that the source from which a suspicious email or message has been sent is in fact malicious. If you are not sure of the credibility of an account, always avoid sharing sensitive data. When a source is in fact credible, this is normally easily confirmable and may resurface through various, legitimate means.

At Atom I.T. Repairs we are always ready to provide our specialized services in the fields of data security and recovery when required, however also strive to constantly raise awareness on some of the most popular ways that data may be threatened, stolen, or erased. Besides the aforementioned 3 vital steps to securing your data, there are many others. However, by applying adequate precaution and spending some time researching before sharing any information, one may easily prevent such data security issues from occurring. We can also be of assistance through the implementation of our customised services or applications for cloud services.