Laptop or desktop computers are the most common places for data to be collecting the virtual dust. It is easy to find data on your desktop or in document folders where you saved it – but what else may be lurking on your computer?

If your computer is tied to Microsoft OneDrive or an application like Microsoft Teams, there is a good chance that everything you do is backed up into another virtual folder. Even if you think you are cleaning up that extra data on your computer, duplicate or even triplicate files may be hidden in a virtual space.

And how about your Downloads folder? When it comes to your computer, less is more. Not only will your computer thank you for your data housekeeping, but also the less data you have when a bad actor gains access, the less you have to worry about.

Consider using external hard drives to hold data that does not connect to the internet, secure virtual storage spaces, or flash drives. Know whether there are any rules or laws that apply to the length of time that you maintain data. If there is no reason to keep the data, delete it.

Bad actors love e-mail accounts. Do you know what you have in yours? Chances are, it’s a lot more than you think. Not all data is obviously identified or searchable in email. There may be data in attachments that you don’t even know is there. For example, if you have a PDF or a PowerPoint deck attached to an email with diagrams or charts, that document may also have an Excel file embedded in it that has personal information.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep your email tidy. These include backing up your account to a virtual archive or secure storage space after a certain period of time, deleting e-mails and setting rules to remove all deleted emails each time you close your email, considering use of a platform like Box to send important documents, and when possible not using email to transfer personal information.

You can also delete attachments that may contain personal data and save them in an alternative location, check your inbox rules once a month, and clear folders like “Delete,” “Junk,” “Spam” “Outbox,” and “Drafts” regularly. Even better, companies can set environments to archive data after 6, 12 or 18 months. This eliminates years of data potentially accessible and synced during an email compromise.

Mobile devices. Can you think of any other device that may be holding personal data? The increase in remote work has also increased the number of people using their personal phones for work purposes. What could possibly go wrong?

Use of a cellular device for work often means that you have a mix of downloaded documents, email accounts, and other applications or platforms that can be shared.

Consider limiting the number of applications that you use or download, keeping your personal and work accounts on separate devices, and following the same hygiene practices that you would use on your computer or in your email account. You can also monitor and consider not using tethering options, file share capabilities, Bluetooth, or other options that make your device discoverable to others.

Conclusion

In today’s environment, guarding your company’s data is more crucial than ever. Knowing what data you hold, whether accidently or on purpose, is half the battle. By managing, securing, and even deleting your information, you can significantly reduce your risk. A little effort now can save a lot of trouble later.

The Constangy Cybersecurity & Data Privacy team assists businesses of all sizes and industries with implementing necessary updates to their privacy and compliance programs to address these complex and evolving regulatory requirements. If you would like additional information on how to prepare your organization, contact us directly at cyber@constangy.com.