Be Aware Of 10 Things About Data Privacy

1. Your Data Track :

Almost everything we do with current technology leaves a digital trail, and there’s no real way of escaping it as long as it’s connected to the internet. If there are no passwords or certain encryption in place within your devices, your data is less secure and easier to infiltrate.

2.Encryption cracked

All encryption technologies ( such as https, SSL, VPN and 4G encryption) routinely used to protect online transactions. However, even encryption of various tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo can be cracked, which means our data is not as secure as we always believe it to be.

3. Emails

You know that all free web email services are not 100% secure, including Gmail, Yahoo etc. Fastmail is a secure and recommended choice by many, but you need to pay for a more secure email service.

4. Encryption services

Encryption is the name of the game when it comes to protecting your data privacy. Many years ago, it seemed like rocket science, but today there are plenty of open source applications. These programmes however cannot prevent the government from demanding your encryption key under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000). There are nevertheless many disk encryption third-party products available that will allow you to encrypt an entire disk.

5. Backup

There are many cloud services and physical devices to backup your data. US, France and UK-based cloud services like Dropbox, iCloud and Evernote have been known to be hacked into by NSA and similar bodies. A number of big companies and Hollywood celebrities can also attest to major hacks into their cloud accounts.

6. File Permissions

Once you have backed up your data on a device on a regular basis, it’s important to set permissions so that certain people cannot access your files via networks you are part of.

7. Password Protect

Having a good password that you change over time is a necessary step in trying to protect your data. Setting a strong password phrase that you can build on and make stronger as you go will help secure your data. Change your password for different accounts and keep changing it (obviously while remembering it).

8. Wireless Transmission

Keep safe your data while in transit, and only send or store data through encrypted wireless networks, preferably those with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), which is stronger than Wired Equivalent Protocol (WEP).

9. Steganography

You can hide data within data using steganopraphy, which for example, can hide a text file within another text file, or mp3 within an mp3. The data is encrypted first and then hidden inside another file through steganography software.

10. PKI, IPsec and RMS

Public key infrastructure (PKI) use a third party to issue keys and digital certificates, while Internet Protocol Security encrypts data for confidentiality. Luckily, Windows 2000 and later software versions have this sort of built-in support. Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) are also great tools to control what the recipients are able to do with regard to your data.

Source: http://reviewonline.co.za/131471/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-data-privacy/