6 best ways to love your data
It’s been said and repeated countless times, but data is the most valuable resource in the world. Your data. Everyone’s data. Companies are still clamoring to learn everything and anything about you to sell on to the highest bidder, hackers are hoping to get a valuable nugget for ransom leverage, and others are just collecting… collecting and waiting for a time when it can be best used.
Sounds more like a horror story than a romance, but you aren’t powerless! There are a few important ways to show your data some love, and what better time to do it than International Love Data Week?
Check out these International Love Data Week events
First of all, let’s have a little fun and schedule in some great online events that are going on! Here are a few that jumped out, but be sure to check out the complete list here. There are plenty of online and in-person events to choose from.
Falling in Love with Data - This beginner workshop will provide an overview of ICPSR, an online data archive available to social science researchers.
Dating with Data: 50 Years of Romantic Relationships - How have US attitudes toward inter-racial, inter-religious, and LGBTQ+ relationships changed over the past half century? Find out what surveys from 1972-2022 say while sharing some Valentine's Day treats as part of International Love Data Week!
Love Data Week - Data Privacy - Learn about data privacy from Dina Gayanova, a data privacy and cybersecurity attorney in Holland & Knight's Philadelphia office.
Data for Social Good - Data can be used to bring about changes that matter. Hear from various researchers about how they have used data to make an impact on society. They will reflect upon how they first recognized what impact their data could have, and how they then worked towards turning that data into a form to be practically used beyond academia.
Love Data Week: Introduction to Data Visualization with Tableau - Do you like data? Do you like good looking graphs? Do you like presenting information in eye-catching ways? If you answered yes to any of those, you might be interested in learning more about data visualization.
Choose a privacy-focused alternative search engine
Google isn’t the only kid on the block anymore. There are new alternatives every day, but if you’re looking for an option that keeps your privacy front and center, why not give these a spin? Ecosia even plants trees the more you search!
Disclaimer (and minor rabbit hole for you to fall into)
Global surveillance alliances are an important, and sometimes invisible, piece of the cyber security puzzle. It’s important to educate yourself on your country’s laws and alliances, as all the good intentions a company may have are still subject to the law.
Regularly check your app security settings
You’ve heard the saying, “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” Luckily, in most jurisdictions, the law has finally caught up with technology and we’re now able to choose what information we share. The apps we love to use have a tendency to love using us back, but it’s important that all parties involved are okay with that trade.
So keep an eye on your security settings, actually read your EULAs (or at least give it a good college try), and take a few moments to consider what you’re giving in exchange for that “free” product or service.
Learn about the most common cyber security threats
Cyber criminals are constantly changing and adapting their techniques for getting their hands on your info, but the absolute best protection against it: knowledge. Learn about the different ways your information can be accessed and stolen so it’s more obvious to you when you see it.
Even things as simple as keeping different passwords for different accounts, and turning on 2-factor authentication can go a long way.
Best VPNs in 2023
This could be a blog post in itself (and probably will be soon) but we’d be remiss if it wasn’t included in this list. There are a variety of VPNs out there to suit your needs and price point, whether it’s just a browser extension or something for your whole household.
TechRadar has done a really great review of all the major VPNs out there right now, so have a read for the most current info and get started. Most offer free 30 day trials!
Protect your data with backup and recovery software
And of course, rely on Macrium Reflect 8 to protect your home PCs. Whether your data is compromised by hackers, lost due to human error, or destroyed due to a natural event, a well-planned backup strategy will protect you when you need it most.
Running regular backups is like a good insurance policy, and routinely checking you can restore them is the easiest way to trust your data is in good hands. And with Macrium Image Guardian (MIG), you can rest easy knowing that even your backup files are safe from ransomware.
To celebrate International Love Data Week, we’re offering 20% off Reflect 8 Home! (until 20th February 2023) So put all these practices in place, get yourself top-notch backup and recovery software, and share the love with someone whose data you want to protect, too!
