Data Encryption
If you have one resolution for the new year, consider data encryption. In this industry, nearly everyone knows at least one person who’s lost a laptop or phone. Replacing the device is the easy part. The real issue is everything on it: confidential client information, case data and research, emails, and graphics.
Passwords Do Not Protect Data
Passwords on computers and phones stop the casual snoop, but the data on the device is still wide open. Plug the drive or memory card into another computer and it’s all there. There are freely available tools online that let a new “owner” access or reset your password entirely. Passwords do not protect your data.
Encryption
It’s never too late to start, and never a bad idea. Before enabling any encryption, make a full system backup. (That’s a whole other topic.) To keep things simple, this covers Windows 7 and 8.1 only.
Windows 7
Windows 7 was the first Microsoft OS to ship with encryption out of the box: BitLocker. But it’s not that simple. Only the Ultimate and Enterprise editions can run the BitLocker service. If you’re not on one of those, you’ll need third-party software. BitLocker itself is a very good, free option worth looking up.
Windows 8.1
Again, Microsoft limited BitLocker, this time to the Pro and Enterprise editions.
Simple, right? Not quite. Your computer may not run BitLocker cleanly without a USB flash drive or a PIN. To skip that extra step, the machine needs a TPM (Trusted Platform Module), a chip found in many, but not all, newer computers. If you’re buying new machines, don’t skip this.
It may seem like a lot of effort, but consider the problems that could come from losing unencrypted data.
Protecting Non-BitLocker Versions of Windows
Before May 2014, the easy answer here was TrueCrypt. These days the answer isn’t as obvious. Other free and open-source options exist, but none offer quite the same flexibility TrueCrypt did. Because of that, we won’t recommend any single encryption product here. It seems safer that way. Instead, a few starting points to research on your own:
Paid Offerings
- Symantec Endpoint Encryption
- WinMagic SecureDoc
- McAfee Endpoint Protection
- Sophos SafeGuard Encryption
- Check with your PC manufacturer for their own solutions
Free / Open Source
- DiskCryptor (full disk encryption)
- AES Crypt (file encryption)
- Challenger (file encryption, free for personal use)
- 7-Zip (if this isn’t already on your system, it should be)
External Drives, USB Sticks, and Email Attachments
The smaller these devices get, the easier they are to lose. External hard drives are popular for running trials from. Don’t forget they need the same protection your computers and phones now enjoy.
And remember: the security features built into Trial Director do not protect the data that makes up your case, only the database.