We live in the information age – an age where data is by far the most valuable commodity being traded across the world. Through data we can understand shifts in stock prices, customer behaviors, and even predict political fortunes. Meanwhile, the devices that we own are some of the most expensive and valuable items we possess. Losing them, along with their data, is therefore an incredibly unpleasant and disruptive event in life. This article describes how best to protect yourself from this disruption by putting protective measures in place.

Back-Up

Well, it’s what you’ve been hearing for years and years from parents, teachers, professors and employers. Back-up your data. Now you’re reading it here, hopefully the message will sink in. It’s incredible how few people do this – and how many people are caught out when their laptops are lost and stolen and their precious years of data are gone with them. Recall that you can store backed-up files externally, on an external hard-drive, and virtually, in the cloud. Both of these options are terrifically simple to do, extremely cheap, and well worth it for your peace of mind.

Passwords

If your laptop of smartphone is stolen, you’d better hope it’s protected by a password. That’s because access to your devices doesn’t just mean access to your data – it means access to your social media accounts, email, Amazon, and all the other shopping sites that have automatically saved your credit card details. It’s a huge vulnerability, and so you should really make sure that all your devices have multiple layers of password protection on them so that you don’t have to worry about your cash being stolen after your laptop or phone has been.

Locating Crime

There are a number of ways in which you can trace your stolen data or your stolen devices. One option is to use the ‘find my phone’ installation that’s available on both Apple and Android products. Another method – and one preferred for its big-picture perspective – is to conduct a computer forensics investigation that’ll unearth exactly where your laptop might be, what data and accounts have been accessed, and from where. This is extremely important for your peace of mind and can help you pass details, should you need to, onto the police. From there, the police can mobilize in order to attempt to recapture your device and return it to you.

Data Protection

This term – data protection – can mean a lot of things in the modern world. Here, what’s meant by data protection is the fact that your virtual profile is vulnerable. Indeed, everyone in the world is vulnerable to their identity being hacked, used and disposed of – all from under your nose. Be aware of the latest scams and internet risks in order to protect yourself from data theft, and try to avoid dodgy-looking websites and strange download files that might have software hidden that’s able to siphon off your most important and valuable data.

The online world is becoming ever-more populated by cybercriminals – as well as real-world thieves – and you should use the tips above to protect yourself from these crimes as soon as possible.