Data Security Software
Posted on | August 18, 2010 | No Comments
There are many software packages out there that claim to keep your data secure. But if you’re not a data security expert, how can you know which claims to trust? It’s not easy, but we have a few tips on keeping your data private and secure, and the most effective solutions are not always software based.
The first thing to do is assess what data you’re trying to protect and where that data lives and how it travels from one place to another. Let’s say you’re worried about identity theft and so you want to make sure your passwords cannot be intercepted. The best way to keep your passwords secure is to make sure that any time you log in to a website, you are sending traffic over SSL using a signed certificate.
If you look in your web browser, and to the left of the address bar, you should see either a padlock icon or a small bar with the domain name of your website in it. After this you should see an “https” followed by the full address. If you see this, traffic between your computer and this website is encrypted. Of course, not all websites use SSL for logging into their site. Facebook and Twitter in particular do not. To force these websites to use SSL, simply add the “s” after “http” and it should force the website to use their certificate. Most banks and webmail providers should automatically force you to use SSL, which is a good thing.
Now, after you’ve entered your password, is your browser offering to save it for you? If you click yes, your password now also resides somewhere on your hard drive, most likely in plain text. Any attacker who has access to your computer for a minute can easily locate and pull down all the passwords that you’ve allowed your browser to save.
In terms of data security software out there for your hard drive, I still recommend TrueCrypt for protecting your data-at-rest. You can create full-disk encryption, which prevents access to your hard drive without the correct password. Many other software packages claim to offer the same level of quality as TrueCrypt, but because they have been around so long and have consistently raised the bar for security, they get my seal of approval.
Overall, any security company claiming that they can keep your data secure with one easy download is selling snake oil. It takes a comprehensive approach to make sure your data is protected from prying eyes. Remember to consider all the ways that you use your data, and the multiple locations that your information can be stored. While some data security software can help you meet most of your needs, don’t overlook the obvious and do some research before buying.
Tags: computer security > data security > Password security > software > TrueCrypt
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