How Secure Is Your Data? Are You Willing To Bet Your Life On It?

By now I am sure most of you have heard about the Hard Drives, Thumb Drives, and other data storage devices stolen from US bases in Afghanistan and sold at the local bazaars. There have been reports that there were maps of Fire Control Radar locations, images of troop movements and operations, names of Taliban double agents, cover agents and other sensitive data were on the drives.

How did they obtain this information? Its real simple...According to an FBI/CSI Computer Security Survey for 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, "Insiders are the greatest threat to computer security". Consultants, technicians, outside vendors and contractors are allowed access to the area where such equipment is stored. It doesn't take a genius to go in and copy a harddrive (especially with external USB drives) or palm a flash drive and *POOF* it is gone.

What are you doing to protect your data? Encrypting it? off-site storage? or hope that you can trust the people you allow behind the counter? We all live in a world where we would like to trust your fellow man. While it is not certain how much information has already fallen into enemy hands, what it is certain it will be used against us whether in the form of Propoganda (recovered images) or to plan counter-operations against Coalition forces.

While this might not happen in your business, people might not die if a blue print goes missing but should a client find out that their private business information has been compromised rest assured your business will suffer a direct economic hit because you are not doing anything to protect their interest.

So if you think you can live through a direct economic hit to your business, then you are one of two things: so rich that you don't need their business or you are the biggest IDIOT thatever was.

Do something now about protecting not just your data but that of your clients, and let them know you care enough about them that you are taking steps to protect their most important assets entrusted to you.

If you don't know how to get started, let me know I am willing to help you.