Security

The technique of securing information through limiting information risks is known as information security, or InfoSec. Information security refers to the process of protecting information and information systems against unauthorised disclosure, modification, and destruction, as well as other threats. It falls within the category of information risk management. It usually entails preventing or minimising the likelihood of unauthorized/inappropriate data access, as well as illegitimate data usage, disclosure, interruption, deletion, corruption, alteration, inspection, recording, or devaluation. It also includes activities aimed at reducing the negative consequences of such situations. It includes all information technology resources, including University data and the information technology equipment that accesses, processes, stores, or transfers it.

Before we dive into this, let’s first understand what sensitive data is. Sensitive data is classified information that must be safeguarded from unwanted access. It is a higher layer of data that needs more security than personal data. Much information, such as a person's name or email address, might be deemed personal data.
Sensitive information is often buried in bigger data sets or files. To discover sensitive data on your computer, download a sensitive data detection software and run a scan with it. After performing a scan, you will get a report that will help you in locating and safeguarding any unencrypted sensitive information on your computer or discs, such as Social Security numbers.

A backup is a duplicate of the data on a device. It may be used to recover data if your device crashes or to continue working if it is lost or stolen. When you back up your data, you make a duplicate of part or all of your device's information and save it somewhere else (which is usually either on a flash drive, removable hard drive, or in the cloud). Some backups even keep track of your device settings. Backup and recovery software may automate the backup process by taking backups on a regular basis. You may either utilize recovery software (to restore complete backups of a device's data and settings) or manually replace files with copies from the backup to restore data from a backup (usually to restore lost or corrupted files).

Encryption is a technique for encrypting data so that only authorised parties may decipher it. It is the process of transforming human-readable plaintext to unintelligible text, also known as ciphertext, in technical terms. Encryption, to put it another way, takes legible data and makes it look random. Encryption necessitates the employment of a cryptographic key, which is a set of mathematical values agreed upon by both the sender and receiver of an encrypted communication. When you encrypt a file, you use an encryption key or password to "lock" it. Without the proper key or password, the file becomes jumbled and illegible. To safeguard personal devices and sensitive data from abuse, IT advises that all members of a company encrypt them. Don't leave your information vulnerable to thieves and hackers.

• 01Ensure that your software is up to date: It's vital to keep your operating system and apps up to date. Always make sure your devices have the most recent security updates.
• 02Set your operating system's automatic updates to on: Use online browsers that get regular, automated security upgrades, such as Chrome or Firefox. Make sure your browser's plug-ins (Flash, Java, and so on) are up to date.
• 03Make effective password management a habit: We all have too many passwords to keep track of, and it's all too tempting to take shortcuts like repeating the same one. A password manager can help you keep all of your accounts' passwords strong and unique. These tools can create secure passwords for you, automatically input credentials, and remind you to change your passwords on a regular basis. All CalNet ID holders are eligible for free LastPass Premium(link is external).

When sending or receiving sensitive material, email should be avoided at all costs. The hacking of an email account or the forwarding of an email message might result in sensitive information being exposed to persons who were not intended receivers. Alternatives include using a secure file transfer service, such as UD Dropbox, or using a secure web form. If there are no other choices available and you are forced to communicate sensitive information by email, that information must be encrypted before it can be sent. Prior to sending the encrypted file as an attachment, it is necessary to first encrypt the file. Make separate contact with the recipient to get his or her encryption passcode. It is never a good idea to send sensitive information in plain text.