Data Doctors: Lessons for all from the Sony hack

Q: One of the things I keep hearing about because of the Sony hack is encryption, but how exactly do I get it setup for my business?

A: There isnt enough space in this column to cover all the lessons that can be learned from what continues to come out of the Sony Pictures massive hacking event.

The use of encryption is a big one because it can provide an excellent level of security even if cyber thieves make off with thousands of sensitive files via a compromised computer.

Anytime everyone has access to everything on a business network without any real security, hackers need only compromise one user to wreak havoc for everyone (the likely scenario in the Sony hack).

Encryption acts as another security barrier that will generally cause the hackers to move on because of the time that it will take to break the encryption.

Encryption technology is built into most operating systems; Windows has BitLocker for workstations and servers while Mac OS X has FileVault or you can use encryption programs from many third party companies.

But before you make any decisions to start encrypting your data, you really should review all of the options, pros, cons, security and backup measures to make sure you dont inadvertently lock yourself out of your own data.

Encryption strategy needs to be thought through, so make sure you consult your IT support group before you get started.

Another simple step that Sony could have taken to protect data was to create individual passwords for sensitive data files.

Just about every type of business program you use has an option to password protect the individual files.

The rest is here:
Data Doctors: Lessons for all from the Sony hack