|
 Print Friendly
 Email to Friend
|
|
Make Your Home Office Secure
|
|
Article 5: Data Security: Part 1
Recent high-profile data security breaches at major information repositories ChoicePoint and LexisNexis should hammer home the importance of protecting the valuable data stored in your home office and on your computer.
“Personal computers and the data stored on them have never been more essential to home-based business owners than they are today,” says Jeff Zbar, author of “Safe@Home: Seven Keys to Home Office Security.” “If you have any data whatsoever stored on a computer, then you need to protect it from loss and theft.”
Data protection can be broken into two main categories: protecting your data from loss, and protecting it from theft. Computer protection must encompass a multifaceted approach, says Zbar:
Data backup — “There are two categories of computer users — those who have lost data, and those who will lose data,” says Zbar. However, fewer than four percent of computer users say they regularly back up their computer content.
How often should you back up? That depends on how often and how much new content you’re adding. “The question to ask,” says Zbar, “is how often do you need to back up to ensure that you will never lose irreplaceable content?”
Whatever you decide, the most important thing is that you create a system for backing up, because it won’t happen on its own. “The best systems are automated, and they involve taking data offsite,” says Zbar.
There are now Web sites that will sell you storage space and back up your data automatically as often as you want. “These are great for any home-based business owner who takes his business seriously,” Zbar says Battery backup and surge protection — When you consider the thousands of dollars home-based business owners spend on computers and equipment, it’s baffling that so many neglect to protect their equipment with simple and inexpensive battery backups and surge protectors.
The best form of battery backup is an uninterrupted power supply (UPS). These supply a constant and even flow of power to your computer in the event of a power outage (like a brown out). You can purchase a model that will supply a steady stream of power for up to 10 minutes for less than $100, says Zbar.
Surge protectors “protect your other electronic equipment from power surges and lightening strikes,” Zbar explains, “but they don’t offer an independent power supply. They’re best for inexpensive electronics like printers, scanners, fax machines and telephone systems.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
