What every business must protect above all else isnโt its physical assets, but is data. Data is big business, and losing all your data can instantly shut down your company and produce huge fines. That is why ransomware and hacking are so lucrative because hackers know how much you value your data. They can take over your website and threaten to delete every single page unless you pay their demands, or they might even hack into your home computer, thus gaining access to private information that could even put your kids at risk.
Local Data Failures
Your data is also in danger on a local scale, for instance, in the case of misplaced files or worse, if your hard drive or computer fails. The best way to avoid both of these situations, of course, is to create a redundancy system. This means having several external hard drives that are located in different geographic areas. This should also be implemented when you are running a home-based business. Keeping an updated backup of all your important documents is a must. That way, if your home floods and your hard drive fails, you could still have a complete copy of all your data at your parentsโ house. If you have already lost a hard drive due to failure, however, donโt panic. There are computer forensics Dallas experts that are trained at retrieving data that you might have thought has been lost.
In the case of data misplacement, the best solution is to create a uniform metadata codex and to properly catalog all your information as you store it. This can help you find specific family photos by year or occasion, or it could help you keep track of all your businessโ finances. Use tags, color coding, and a smart folder system to keep your dataโs organization smart.
Digital Security Training for the Whole Family
You should also invest in your digital security, which can, in turn, protect your familyโs browsing habits as well. Relying solely on a firewall, however, isnโt enough. One wrong download from a family member could infect your home computer with a virus just as easily. Combine your antivirus security with online safety training for your children, which range from not talking to strangers online to how to recognize suspicious links. As a family, you should also get into the habit of using unique passwords for every login, as a security breach at one website could mean that hackers can gain access and then sell your passwords to third parties, in turn threatening the rest of your presence online.
You wonโt be able to protect your family from every danger the online world possesses, but you can make them more informed. Press on the importance of personal safety and how dangerous it can be to share personal information publically. Create a fair set of rules for them to follow so that they can be as safe as possible online, no matter what they end up getting into.
When your business is run from your home, you are automatically more at risk from hacking and data loss because you may not have the security measures in place, or so the hackers believe. Protect yourself and protect your familyโs data, and you will protect them throughout their lives.