TORONTO, Sept. 15 Travel-DataDepositBox
TORONTO, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Computer security has never been more
necessary. In the past, the threat of a security breach has come in the form
of thieves: stolen laptops and PDAs, identity theft, and the like. These days
the threat comes from a new ruling by a U.S. court. The Department of Homeland
Security will now be allowed to confiscate laptops coming into the U.S. for an
indefinite amount of time. Customs and Border Patrol will be able to search
laptops or any other electronic device, download entire contents and keep the
device for several days.
"This policy can create headaches -- or worse -- for unsuspecting
travelers who don't plan ahead," says Jamie Brenzel, CEO of online data
storage and backup service Data Deposit Box ( www.datadepositbox.com ).
Imagine your vital business accounting data being out of reach for days. Worse
yet, what if your private financial information was exposed to the wrong
people? What if a potential business partnership was leaked before the deal
was made? Any of these scenarios is cause for concern. So what can be done?
Some experts suggest simply leaving electronics, such as laptops and PDAs,
at home. While this strategy is easy enough for someone heading off on
vacation, business travelers need more practical options to protect sensitive
information. According to Brenzel, encryption is key to data protection.
"Unfortunately, when it comes to data protection, many people would rather
live by the idea that a security breach won't happen to them than try to
figure out how to keep their data safe with encryption," says Brenzel.
Brenzel offers several tips to keep sensitive data safe. Travelers should:
-- Use the 'My Documents' folder and keep it on a separate disk partition.
Partitioning a hard disk drive defines specific areas within the disk and
makes it possible to create several file systems (either of the same type or
different) on a single hard disk, increasing system efficiency. The
partitioned drive will be difficult for someone to find, and the drive icon
can be made invisible to make it even safer.
-- Store data on a remote server that can be accessed online. Files won't
have to be downloaded onto laptops until they're safely across the border.
Turning off the computer rather than simply putting it to sleep will also
delete files that were visible on the remote server.
-- Password-protect drives and files, and fortify passwords by including
different characters, numbers, spaces, etc. NOTE: A border agent can require
anyone to type in their password.
-- Delete old files that are no longer needed using a secure file erasure
program, as well as Web sites, cookies and history.
In addition to encrypting laptops themselves, users should be certain
their online backup provider not only backs up data, but also safely and
automatically encrypts it off-site. Brenzel notes that the type of encryption
used by an online backup provider is important. Users should compare speed,
peer review and key strength when choosing a system. Popular encryption keys
include Blowfish (used by Data Deposit Box), Triple DES and Khufu/Khafre.
SOURCE Data Deposit Box
