From the solitary student to the international business owner, data management is incredibly important. In 2017 alone, Indians lost track of 394m data records, according to consultants Varonis, whether through loss or theft. For students, losing their data can cause a complete loss of hard-earned progress, or, in the worst case, theft of intellectual property with little recourse.
Fortunately, data management and security is something that is easy to take control with a few precautions in place. This is a result of the worldwide pressure on cybersecurity, due to which plenty of products have been developed lately to help internet users to secure their data both online and offline. But the most important precaution, and indeed step zero to ensure that data security, in the current digital age, is to maintain a physical record.
Why maintain a Physical/Local Copy?
Taking an example of your college project for web designing, much web development is completed using your computer and in digital test environments. The same goes for many projects undertaken during schooling. With numerous cloud solutions available, why maintain a physical alternative? Your primary motivation should be to have as many backup solutions for your data as possible. Having a flash drive or portable hard drive helps to prevent the loss of working capability in case of internet downtime or if your service provider has outages, and reduces the risk of lost work. Furthermore, it's important to consider the impact of identity fraud in India. According to credit agency Experian, identity theft makes up 77% of fraud in India, including total digital account lockout. For this worst-case scenario, a physical device is a godsend.
Applying Online Hygiene
If you're a frequent internet surfer with your eye on the news, you may be well aware of big companies facing data breaches. One service, Have I Been Pwned, estimates that 5.4 bn email accounts have been compromised in the hundreds of corporate hack attacks around the world. As a consumer, staying safe is simple but requires determination. By applying online hygiene and regularly changing your password, in addition to reassessing what websites and services have access to your information, you can control your data and prevent a leak, or intellectual property theft.
Maintaining Proper Records
Aside from the security aspect of file management, there's good evidence to suggest that being well organized and managing your data in a fastidious fashion will help you bring success. A 2011 study by the University of Wisconsin came up with a number of proposals conducive to better learning, and found that good note-taking, constructing task lists and keeping files organized produced better educational results. These principles are applicable across the spectrum of learning.
Data management encompasses security, safeguarding progress and positive educational outcomes. Managing your data in a secure and dedicated manner is proven to help you succeed. Through maintaining digital and physical security and taking a stoic approach to the mundane parts of the organization, you’ll be doing yourself a favor.
