Data Security Overview

Procedures to protect data

First, know the value of your data and information

Know the threats your data faces and what you can do about them

• Viruses
• Hackers
• Equipment failure
• Fire
• Incompetent or disgruntled employees
• Falling elephants

Prevent Negligent data loss

• Staff need training to avoid errors that could damage or lose data
• Don’t give everyone access to all data – the “need to know” principle means that only the people who need access to certain data are given access to it. This helps prevent fraud and accidental data loss by incompetent people playing around where they shouldn't be.
  

Prevent Accidental data loss

• Protect the premises against fire
• Use reliable hardware to minimise risk of failure
• Use redundancy e.g. RAID 5, disk mirroring
  

Prevent Deliberate data loss

• Use passwords (but don't believe they're foolproof security by themselves!)
• Use biometric identification
• Use firewalls and encryption to deter hackers or spies
• Don’t let disgruntled employees near data
• Keep virus & trojan scanners current - and actually have them running!
• Use physical security such as lock and key, security passes
  

Be able to recover from data loss

• Set up and rigidly follow a backup scheme, e.g. Grandfather-Father-Son, Tower of Hanoi
• Use good backup equipment and quality backup media.
• Store backups off site
• Do a test restore so you know backups are valid
• Have a valid and tested data disaster recovery plan

Also read up on NETWORK SECURITY

Consequences of failing to secure and protect data and information

• loss of trade secrets
• potential violation of the Privacy Policy if personal information is damaged or released
• loss of reputation as a trustworthy organisation
• loss of income after catastrophic data loss destroys your ability to get paid by customers or conduct business
• prosecution by the tax office if tax records are lost
• corporate death

The only sure way to avoid giving away valuable data on obsolete hard disks

Shredding HARD disks - a YouTube fascination!