Digital storage has become a standard for storing and sharing important information and data. With various advantages like enhanced usability, accessibility, security, synchronization and disaster recovery, digital storage is getting popular by the day among professionals. Today, millions of organizations and individuals across the globe depend upon this advanced storage system to store, share and operate files smoothly.
However, irrespective of the amount of convenience and security that digital storage offers, there always remain certain issues that compromise the efficiency of this advanced system. According to research, businesses suffer several bytes of data losses every day. This is one of the significant reasons why businesses and individuals need to be cautious while handling digital data.
While digital and cloud storage options are convenient and safer than paper files, your mistakes with file management might cause hacking, cyber-attacks, phishing and so on. Your files are essential in protecting the organization’s liability in numerous areas. In this article, we will explore a few common mistakes that most individuals make while storing and sharing their files. This will help you to stop or avoid mistakes with digital file management.
- Not Backing up Your Data
Digital storage is undoubtedly a great system to store, synchronize and share data. However, like other technologies, it has its own pros and cons. Here, the best way to avoid data loss or theft is to have a back-up of your data. However, in most cases, individuals fail to back up their data and thus, go through various data management issues. So, to store your file securely, it’s important to back it up, especially the business files, credentials and personal important data that you can’t afford to lose.
To avoid such mistakes, make use of automatic file backups to multiple sources like computer storage, cloud, hard drive and so on. Also, ensure to back up critical information or files more frequently to prevent data loss.
- Failing to Upgrade Security on End-Point Device
We often choose cloud storage platforms due to their security benefits. However, one of the common mistakes we make while managing cloud storage is neglecting the security issues on end-point devices. Remember, if your computing device is not secure, no matter where you store your data, the file is vulnerable to cyber threats. So, to avoid data loss or protect your digital file from cybercriminals, ensure that your end-point device is safe and secure. If you are an individual or run a small organization, secure your device by installing a good anti-virus software. Also, ensure to keep the anti-virus updated for better security. However, for larger organizations, the security process is costly and time-consuming. Apart from anti-virus software, you need to create security policies consisting of different tools and techniques for optimum data safety.
- Allowing Too Many People Access
The proverb, “too many cooks spoil the broth” is absolutely true for digital data management. No matter if it’s about an individual’s data or an organization’s data, one of the glaring mistakes we make is by providing access to too many people. To keep your digital data safe and synchronized, it’s important that only a few trusted people have access to your files. When more people have access to admin settings, there are greater chances of mismanagement. Remember, if a user with admin privilege changes a vital security setting, your files could be at risk. So, it’s always a smart idea to limit admin access to only trusted peers or top executives at your organization.
- Sharing Files Through Unprotected Routes
Though you must not provide access to your digital filing system to too many people, collaboration is important for teamwork. In an organization, a group of individuals might have to work on the same documents. In such a scenario, the exchange of data among colleagues or peers is obvious. It often happens that an individual downloads a file from the cloud storage and shares it with others through email, Skype or any other platform. Although it is a very common and convenient way to share files with teammates, this is risky in terms of security. Cybercriminals target these routes to steal your important data. Thus, to make the process secured, choose platforms that are safe for sharing files. You can also make it your organization’s policy that files should only be shared via the secured platform you choose. This is a great technique to safeguard your important data from hackers while promoting collaboration in the organization.
- Accessing Files From Unsafe WiFi
Do you often make use of public Wi-Fi to access your digital files? If so, your data might be at risk. Most of us often get tempted to use free Wi-Fi, while away from the office or home. Today, as most public places like restaurants, coffee shops, railway stations and airports provide us with Wi-Fi to connect with the world wide web, we log into our file storage systems to quickly complete our pending tasks. Using public Wi-Fi is extremely risky as these networks essentially invite hackers in. Today, when cybercriminals are looking for different routes to get into your data storage, unprotected Wi-Fi provides them easy access to your device and storage system. While accessing your files in public places, make use of your mobile data rather than Wi-Fi. You can also make use of VPN systems to keep your device and storage protected from unnecessary threats.
There are many other mistakes that we often make while storing, sharing or managing digital files. However, the five highlighted points above are the most common ones. Apart from avoiding the above-mentioned mistakes, ensure that you organise your important files effectively. Make use of relevant names for all your files and organise so that it’s easy to retrieve them whenever needed. Also, to safeguard your digital files, do not forget to train your employees on data management. Regular training on how to handle digital data effectively not only maximises your organisation’s security but also improves your overall productivity. So, whether you are just starting out or a behemoth, follow best data management practices for better security and performance.
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Resources:
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3251606/what-does-stolen-data-cost-per-second.html