Security in the Age of Itty Bitty Storage
In the last few years, technology for memory storage has allowed for an explosion of high-capacity devices that are very small in size. From cell phones to USB drives, we can now easily carry many gigabytes of files in tiny little packages. This is definitely a good news/bad news situation, however. The good news is that you can fit all those files in a smal
l, convenient device; the bad news is you can easily lose that small, convenient device. If you are using your device for storing any kind of information you don’t want shared all across the world (whether it’s your student’s grades or that angry letter you wrote just to get it out of your system but never plan to send), you need to consider your security options.
This is particularly true for cell phones. These devices can hold your instant messages, pictures, and email. If you use a smart phone, it likely holds access to your email, web accounts, and whatever else you have stored on it. If someone finds your lost phone, what kind of information about you will they find in it?
There’s a simple solution to this, of course, if you’re willing to use it. Virtually all cell phones and smart phones are set up so you can require a short password to operate them. Is it a hassle to use it this way? Yes, a bit. But how important is it to you to keep your records private?
Think about this when you dispose of your cell phone, too. Unless you do a full erase of the contents of the phone, it is often possible to recover many files from the phone later – even if you’ve removed the SIM card. (New Scientist had a great article about this issue.)
As for USB drives, that’s another issue entirely. If you’re like me, you probably use them primarily for moving files from one computer to another or taking to presentations. I’m not terribly worried about the privacy of most of those files. (If the files are important to you, though, keep at least one file on the drive with your contact info, so if someone finds it they can actually return it to you!) But sometimes you do need to put private files on one of these drives. How do you keep them protected?
If the files you’re trying to protect are Microsoft Office files, you can protect them with a password. In Office 2003, when you choose Save As, in the upper right corner of the save window will be a button labeled Tools. Click that button and scroll down to Security Options. The top option of the dialog window that opens will give you a place to enter a password for allowing access to the document. Put in the password you want and click OK, and then complete the saving process. In Office 2007, the Tools button is in the lower left-hand corner of the Save window, and you’ll need to select General Options to enter your desired password.
Now every time the document is opened, it will require entering the password. You need to write down this password – you cannot recover it if you forget it! (I speak from personal experience on this.)
If you plan ahead, you can purchase USB drives that have password security built in (or even fingerpint scanners!). If you search online vendors with the term “secure usb drive,” you will find quite a few options that cost only a few dollars more than a standard drive. (Most seem to be for Windows only, so this may not be a solution for Mac users.) For regular drives, you can download software that will encrypt the entire contents of the drive. I’ve used TrueCrypt (www.truecrypt.org) because it’s free and cross-platform. It’s a little complicated to figure out the first time you use it, but it’s pretty easy after that. Again, though, don’t forget the password you set, because if you forget it, you can’t retrieve your data.
It’s certainly not my point to scare anyone about using these small devices, because they’re incredibly handy. Just be aware of what you’re carrying around in your pocket or bag, and what will happen if (or when) you lose it!