In today’s day and age, every company large or small wants to remain competitive, efficient, and offer the best of products and services to their customers. And, to do that, they use a range of electronic equipment. These devices include and are not limited to PCs, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, POSs, printers, and various others. Each of the most advanced devices has the capability of storing the information that passes through it. And, actually acts as a secure data backup solution.
But, what happens when these devices get damaged, worn out, or obsolete?
As a responsible citizen, you probably send the devices for recycling or donate them to charitable institutions. But, only after copying the information contained in the devices onto secure data backup solutions. But, before we talk about the best storage gadgets you can use, let’s talk about what happens to the outdated equipment.
Take a Minute to Think About the Data in the Hard Drives of the Disposed Devices
Before dispatching the old devices, every company undertakes data wiping procedures to secure the data so it does not fall into the hands of hackers and cybercriminals. However, most of these data wiping solutions are not effective enough. Read this report on PCWorld that talks about how 78% of old hard drives available on eBay and Craigslist contain sensitive files that can be sold in the open market. Further, close to 67% of the drives have personal data, photographs, financial details, and other information that could be used to identify locations.
Company owners and individuals owning devices need to be aware of the fact that simply deleting files and sending them to the recycle bin is just not enough. Sophisticated hackers can simply recover the deleted data with the advanced tools that are now available. You must use state-of-the-art hard drive data wiping solutions that can securely erase the data so that it cannot be deciphered. And, the best way to make that happen is to call in the experts. These professionals overwrite the data multiple times making the original information unreadable. Once that is done, you can safely send your equipment to recycling plants.
Your Company Needs Secure Data Backup Solutions
According to the regulations laid down by the Federal Trade Commission, companies harvesting and storing personal information must protect this data and preserve it only as long as it is absolutely needed. This data can include credit card information, SSNs, bank account numbers or any other data belonging to customers, vendors, or employees. If you need to store sensitive information, use secure gadgets. Protect your company from data breaches by restricting access to the devices and keeping them locked at all times.
1. Network Attached Storage Devices (NAS)
These kind of secure data backup solutions are ideal for companies that have multiple employees accessing the information for regular operations. You can think of the NAS as a personal cloud storage device that is placed within the office premises. It is low-cost, easy to use, and above all, secure. The NAS also gives you the flexibility to increase the storage capacity as your company expands. And, yes, it allows for speedy data recovery.
2. External Hard Drives
As the name suggests, the external hard drive works similar to the Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) or Solid State Drives (SSDs) contained in the laptops and PCs you use. When you need to use the drive, you can simply connect it to the device you’re working on and save the data. These external drives are portable and allow you to carry them easily when you need to work from remote locations. You can also assign them to trusted employees if needed, and ensure that the information remains protected.
3. Cloud Storage and Backup
Should you check online, you will come across a whole range of applications that provide you with secure data backup solutions on the cloud. Like this feature on TechRadar explains, some of the best applications include Google Drive, DropBox, iCloud, and OneDrive to name a few. If you’re looking for more extensive storage, sign up for G Suite or Mega that are intended for corporate usage. Your entire team can have access to the files simply by using the required passwords. In addition, you can share files with partnering companies without the need for using email.
4. USB Drives
If you’re looking to save and transport sensitive files, you can consider using removable USB drives as secure data backup solutions. These devices are small, easily portable, and can be kept safe by locking away. The newest devices now available have large capacities and allow you to store huge amounts of data. Look for USBs that have a strong structure and won’t break or get damaged when dropped or on suffering an impact. You can also get drives that come with encryption. In case you misplace the gadget, it will not reveal its contents without the encryption code. Such devices allow you to use them with any laptop or PC to access your files.
5. Optical Storage Disks
Like this article on GearBest describes, Optical Disk Drives (ODDs) use laser light to read and write data. Typically used to record audio and visual media, you’re likely to find these drives for portable CD players, DVD players, and DVD recorders. While you can use these devices to store data and they do have adequate capacity, know that such disks are extremely fragile. They can easily get scratched, broken, or corrupted, and are not a very reliable secure data backup solution.
As a company owner, you need a range of secure storage devices to safeguard a range of data. In addition to the personal information you may need to harvest and store, you’ll also need to protect trade secrets, financial and accounting information, product descriptions, and various other details. Technology has now made it possible for you to prevent the data from falling into the hands of hackers and competitors. Choose the most viable solution for your organization and you’ll never have to worry about breaches ever again.
