Protecting Your Data

Why is protecting and backing up your data is critical and important to do in today's world of computing and technology?  In this guide below I explain in three different methods with free tools provided already that come with new devices in place and built in. 

*Note this also ties back to the first part of this page for Password and Authentication Security and it is important to note that these are ways to protect your data with these authentication methods in place that I explained within that page*  

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Method One (BitLocker Encryption and File Vault) What is BitLocker Encryption and File Vault that you may ask well to answer your question it is a device encryption key that is embedded on the motherboard and hard drive on your device that if someone wanted to intrude and change any hardware or software settings like going to reset your account password or make the slightest hardware change on the device you use you are met with the device encryption key which is a 28-Password Key that only you have access to which is digitally tied to your Microsoft Account or Apple ID. Without these keys present and remedy for you to use you will not be able to decrypt the Operating System and Log in forcing you to do a whole factory reset without recovering your data.  

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Method Two (A Secure Hard Token or Soft Token) What is a Hard or Soft Token you might ask well they are two completely same devices expect one is a physical device you can attach to your keychain or keep on hand as a flash drive and secondly a soft token is basically an Authenticator Application like Microsoft or Google Authenticator but they both do the same job. 

(Example: Let's say every time you login in your Microsoft M365 or on the Apple iCloud Web Account you haven't logged in periodically you would need to login using your Microsoft Credentials and Reauthenticate using the Microsoft Authenticator, the Step 2 Verification Code for Text Message, Phone Call or have the device nearby and tap the device to confirm login) 

*Please Note: (These are Example: of Security methods in-place that can keep your account secure and protected without having someone unknown login into your account without permission and stops intruders gaining any type of information or data) *

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Method Three (An External USB Flash Drive or Hard Drive with Encryption Turned On) These two devices play a major role in protecting your data. Let's say you are on your laptop that you take around publicly every day and you left your laptop on the counter and someone ran with the Hard Drive or USB Flash Drive you had in order for it to be used again you need to decrypt the Flash Drive or External Hard Drive with the encryption key that is digitally tied your laptop or with encryption software that is tied to your device. 

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If you do not have access to these three methods above adding strong and unique passwords to your files, photos, and or accounts across all platforms would be critical and best interest as you can have file protected passwords to protect your data because every time you need to access the files folder or photos folder it will prompt you for a password each time to view the file. 

Also, it is imperative and important that you MUST always back-up your data either if it's on the Cloud, External USB Flash Drive and or Hard Drive. It is also important to have a backup of your data as when you upgrade your device or your device goes through major software updates yearly sometimes those updates can fail depending on your device age and specifications so it is important that before you do any device transfer or software upgrade that you backup all that data as if that device goes corrupt or the hard drive may fail it is important to back-up your data at all times Once Or Twice a Week would be the best computer and technology practice.