| If you are like me, you may rely on your pc for email, | | | | the flash drive to the convention center lost and found |
| internet searching, budget, taxes, personal items | | | | desk. As far as my co-worker was concerned, his |
| (resumes, family pictures) etc, and yes also thinking | | | | sensitive data was not lost. My curious question was |
| about data protection when you press the save | | | | this. 'Was the flash drive data secure or copied before |
| button. I back up my data and have learned the hard | | | | being returned?' In this case, I don't think we will ever |
| way that my data loss prevention task, which can be | | | | know. |
| easily automated, needs to be attended to. Another | | | | What my co-worker should have done is used |
| facet about backing up or restoring your data is asking | | | | encryption software for his flash drive data. How do |
| the question. "What happens if someone gets a hold | | | | you encrypt data files on a flash drive? Well, after |
| of my data files"? Well, if you don't think of computer | | | | doing some research, I found and tested a free tool |
| security preventative measures, the reality is those | | | | which does exactly what I was looking for. Secure |
| backup files will be openly visible to anybody who can | | | | Storage by PINoptic will encrypt any media in a very |
| access them. This in addition to "social engineering" or | | | | clever way. Instead of relying on two factor |
| hacker techniques like Phishing (a term used to indicate | | | | authentication or multifactor authentication, Secure |
| a process of attempting to acquire sensitive | | | | Storage uses a symbol keypad to create and store |
| information) are similar to someone using your Account | | | | your pass-code, this method also acts as an anti |
| IDs and Passwords by "luring" you to volunteer your | | | | keylogger. Another advantage is if someone happens |
| credentials under false pretenses. | | | | to be shoulder surfing, (the buzz word meaning |
| Pickup a PC magazine and you are certain to find an | | | | someone is eaves dropping on your keystrokes over |
| article discussing how more and more users are | | | | your shoulder); the encryption tool's symbol keypad will |
| becoming victims of data theft through software such | | | | alternate the symbols. The symbols are positioned in a |
| as a keylogger. Believe it or not new scams with the | | | | similar pattern as mobile phone number keys in a 3 x 3 |
| same alterior motives are being delivered across the | | | | table. However, the symbol positions changes every |
| internet every day made to look like antispyware or | | | | time the keypad is loaded which prevent prying eyes |
| malware protection. | | | | from capturing your PIN. Effectively, you only have to |
| In today's world, web security and computer security | | | | remember ONE set of symbols - but to a keylogger |
| authentication experts agree that making sure you | | | | or malicious visual observer the passwords change |
| change your passwords regularly is the best rule of | | | | every time. |
| thumb, (just read up on best practices about internet | | | | I have searched for other file encryption products, but |
| security). The problem of course as we all know is the | | | | all used an alpha-numeric password which can be |
| multitude of passwords we all have to remember. So | | | | traced using any kind of key logger software. The |
| multiple passwords which need constant changing | | | | PINoptic software was by far the most innovative |
| turns into vulnerability itself not to mention an additional | | | | way to secure passwords to the data. |
| to do. This can also lead us to the proverbial sticky | | | | It's important to note, that there are many services out |
| "Post-IT" syndrome. Oh come on - we've all done it! | | | | there which provide data backup, internet security, and |
| Then there's the old yet simple technique of just adding | | | | captcha services (my recently purchased Dell Laptop |
| "1" on the end of a password or modify the password | | | | came with a trial auto-backup service). These services |
| in some other minor way and inevitably use the same | | | | provide good value and come in a variety of flavors. |
| password on all systems. So now, that keylogger will | | | | But if you ever need to have some electronic data |
| only have to get ONE of your passwords to access | | | | with you and cannot be lugging around a laptop or do |
| ALL of your accounts. | | | | not have WI-FI access, (Hello Executives, Account |
| Of course, some data isn't protected by passwords at | | | | Managers, Vice Presidents and CEOs, you may have |
| all. Case in point, a few weeks ago, my paranoia got | | | | a need to place some data on a device where it can |
| me thinking when I heard about a co-worker who lost | | | | be easily transferred and is secured. PINoptic does a |
| a flash drive (the kind that fit in your pocket about the | | | | good job of data protection by securing data with an |
| size of a pen), when attending a product convention. | | | | easy to use password alternative using symbols |
| He had a presentation, some sales leads, projected | | | | instead of passwords or those blurry catpcha |
| sales numbers, and competitive data analysis on his | | | | characters. |
| flash drive. Luckily for him, a Good Samaritan returned | | | | |