This article was taken from the March 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Our hard drives and mobile phones are full of personal information -- but are easily mislaid or stolen. There's no one magic solution to this problem, but a few simple actions can decrease your risk and keep your secrets secret. Melissa Elliott of software security firm Veracode explains how a bit of extra attention can go a long way in protecting you from data-related crime.
Use built-in hard-drive encryption
"Don't be the hapless coffee-shop robbery victim who loses the billing details of 10,000 customers, and their own private photos to boot," says Elliott. Details, features and system requirements vary by operating system, so look up the correct encryption to suit your individual device.
Encrypt your cloud storage
A utility such as TrueCrypt allows you to add your own encryption on top of your cloud-storage provider's. "This does have drawbacks," cautions Elliott. "You probably won't be able to get documents to open on your phone, or send sharing links. Do your research."
Keep important files safe
USB sticks, SD cards, disks and backup drives are all vulnerable to attack - but with all these, TrueCrypt comes to your rescue again. "There are alternatives, but it has the advantage of being open source, working across all major desktop operating systems," says Elliott.
Don't use your data to test software
It can be tempting to try out the latest encryption software with your real data, but resist it, advises Elliott. "There has been a glut of software jobs rushed out to take advantage of the media coverage given to this issue. Some are outright snake oil and others simply need more time to mature."
Read through the privacy policy
Actually read the policies of websites where you store your personal information, and the end-user licence agreements of any software you install on your computer. "If there is no privacy policy on their website, but they are asking for personal data, run away as fast as you can."
Destroy your rubbish
Remember to wipe any storage devices completely before you give them away or sell them. Simply deleting the files may not be enough: "Use your operating system's 'secure delete', or plug the hard drive into another computer and use a wipe utility," advises Elliott.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
