The world has never relied more on digital data than it does today. Personal records, bank information, medical data, and company assets are commonly digitized. And in some cases, the physical copy is non-existent. Therefore, it is vital that you aim to secure important digital assets as best you can. In addition, the storage of digital information provides an extra level of security against such threats as cybersecurity. Yet you will always have data readily available in case of disaster.
Temporary Physical Holding
Digital assets exist as data and are intangible in the real sense of the word. Yet digital information also exists in a physical location. For example, customer records may be stored in a spreadsheet on a PC hard disk. While a PC is connected to the internet or accessible by a third party, all data is at risk. As time goes on, you might need to free up space in the office or install new systems. You can store older PCs or HDDs in self-storage facilities or secure holding sites.
Solid Cybersecurity
Of course, a modern business revolves around digital information on internet-connected computers. In 2021, it is almost impossible to run a business without an internet connection. However, digital assets can also be stolen by a malicious employee, a staff member, as a victim of social engineering or poor security protocols. Therefore, it is best to implement a sound cybersecurity strategy throughout your company. Yet cybersecurity is simple in theory and complex in practice. So perhaps a managed It service with online security is suitable.
Cloud Platform Services
Suppose you are worried about third-party access to data stored on local physical disks or your internal server. In that case, you can upload data to a cloud system. Cloud systems are essentially external servers that hold your digital data. The benefits of a cloud system are as follows:
- Reduced IT maintenance costs
- Flexible scalability
- Continuity of business during a disaster
- Disaster recovery
- Efficient collaboration
- Enhanced security
While cloud systems were initially designed as data storage facilities, an entire business can now operate using cloud services alone. Therefore, no digital data exists on local nodes, significantly increasing security by reducing the risk of data theft.
Encryption Software + Hardware
One of the oldest and most effective methods of securing digital information is encryption. The process encodes data by scrambling it into unreadable and garbled information. Only authorized users with the correct key can reassemble the original data. You can use encryption software like AxCrypt on PCs. You can also provide employees with encrypted USB devices if they require temporary storage.
External Archives Sites
Like temporary storage, you can choose to store digital assets in an off-site location securely. There are multiple options for this. For example, you can physically remove hard disks for safe storage. Also, you can transfer data to server mainframes. Or you can copy data to another medium such as a USB stick, SSD, or DVD and store those articles in a secure location. Many companies choose to keep critical data in secure facilities within the premises. Yet, it is a necessary business expense to make copies and store them off-site in case of disaster.
