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“Does your cyber hygiene need a brush up?”

by Michael Waksman, CEO, Jetico Inc.

When you work with sensitive data, no matter what field you're in, regular cyber security checks
are a must. Practicing routine 'cyber hygiene' will help protect against spillage or loss of your
sensitive data. If you're wondering what 'cyber hygiene' means, a great way to understand it
could be to compare 'cyber hygiene' with something more familiar, such as dental hygiene.

The idea is simple... For good dental hygiene, we trust the American Dental Association for
proper guidance. For good ‘cyber hygiene’, we have the National Cyber Security Alliance. When
we visit the dentist, we're told that we should brush our teeth twice a day to keep our teeth clean
and healthy. However, to really protect our teeth and gums, we are also advised to floss our
teeth regularly and to use mouthwash.

So what does that have to do with data on a computer? Well think of it like this: When we delete
files, it's like brushing our teeth. On the surface, it may appear that we've cleaned everything up,
but look a little closer and there are still bits and pieces remaining that only flossing (wiping of
data) will really get rid of. In 'cyber hygiene' terms, using a high quality data wiping tool is like
flossing our teeth. It gets rid of all data remanence - and it's the only way to go if you want to
truly protect your sensitive data from unwanted eyes.

If you don't routinely wipe data on your computer, then when you create files, work with them, or
delete them, parts of those files accumulate as data remanence. To be absolutely sure that
you've removed all data remanence, you need to take extra steps. Using a powerful data wiping
utility can ensure that you've removed all the sensitive data to the point where it can no longer
be recovered. By doing so, you can be confident that you've successfully protected that data. In
order to guarantee a clean computer and permanently delete all traces of old or used files, there
are several important steps that we should all be taking:

1. Use the right tools for the job

Using dental floss is a must to keep your teeth squeaky clean - and a good quality data
wiping utility is essential to make sure that all sensitive data is erased:

Keep your data wiping software up to date. Up to the minute software gives you greater
protection against new threats. Whenever you introduce new software, add on hardware,
update or modify system files, install new applications or change operating systems, you risk
spillage of data. Keeping your software up to date can significantly minimize that risk.

Get a comprehensive set of wiping tools. Data wiping software can vary from one provider to
the next. To maximize security, you need a program that delivers a complete set of tools
with the power to effectively carry out a thorough system clean-up.

26 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – October 2014 Edition
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