Sharing personal or professional information has become much simpler thanks to the widespread availability of the internet. However, if the information is not transferred securely to the intended recipients, it could lead to a privacy breach or embarrassment from which it would be difficult to recover.
To prevent unauthorized access, it is crucial that any information you share or transfer online be encrypted. The good news is there are numerous approaches you can take to guarantee this. More than that, various resources are available to facilitate safe data transmission. These are the most reliable strategies for securing data online.
1. Secure Email Transmissions
These days, there is no shortage of companies selling various products that can encrypt email and guarantee safe data transmission. The recipient is free to employ the same encryption method on their end.
This primarily web-based approach involves sending a link to the recipient, who then clicks the link and logs into a protected email server. The attachments and the email itself can be viewed without risk. The company either uses a third-party provider or manages its email server.
2. Security for Websites
If your company collects personal information from customers through its website, you should use this data security method. It is essential for online stores that store customers’ credit card information.
Encryption via a Secure Sockets Layer is the standard method for protecting sensitive information entered on a website. While it is impossible to eliminate security risks, the likelihood of a data breach can be drastically reduced.
3. FTP and SFTP are Two Types of File Transfer Protocols
File Transfer Protocol is a standard method of transferring data over the internet from one computer to another. Secure File Transfer Protocol is widely regarded as one of the most reliable and safe methods for transferring files over the internet.
These protocols restrict data transfer to those who have entered a username and password. A server, which can be purchased or rented, is required for using SFTP. When you buy a server, it has a username and password that stores and retrieves data. Most OSes now include FTP clients in their file managers to facilitate file uploads, downloads, and edits on the server. You can protect the files from prying eyes by creating a password before you upload them. The files themselves are not encrypted, only the FTP connection, so this is an essential step.
4. Protocol for the Secure Transfer of Hypertext
Typically, a web server sends hypertext files to a browser using HTTP. To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information, HTTP is not configured to encrypt data or authenticate users by default. Transport Layer Security can be added to HTTP to ensure data transmission safety.
Most web servers today support secure HTTP. Using HTTPS, the server can verify the client’s identity or employ any other authentication service, as the protocol provides server-end authentication.
5. Conversations That Are Not To Be Reported
OTR messaging is a function available in many messaging apps. You can encrypt your communications using OTR before sending them to another computer. It ensures that your data arrives safely at its destination. Using this function, you can take extra precautions against eavesdropping by using the security codes at your disposal.
6. Online Services
An additional safe option for archiving or sharing files is using a cloud service. Anyone who wants to access or download the file can upload it to a central repository. You can give the recipient read-only, download, or edit access to the data regardless of whether it is stored locally or in the cloud. Files can be stored in the cloud using Dropbox or Google Drive.
7. The P2P Model of Data Sharing
In a peer-to-peer file transfer, there is no need for a centralized server to store the files. Instead, clients use their network connections to join a decentralized peer network and transfer data. The peer-to-peer model is ideal for safe file sharing among small groups.
8. Distant-to-Close Range Transmission
Like Bluetooth and Infrared, NFC enables wireless, risk-free data transfer over short distances. As a payment method, it was initially implemented for use with contactless smart cards. To ensure the safety of data transfer, NFC employs sophisticated encryption and dedicated processors. While near-field communication is generally safe, it’s best to disable it whenever it’s not in use to prevent criminals from using your device to access the data of people using less secure NFC services.