• Ten Home Based Business Security Issues

If you’re contemplating a home-based business, or if you already run one, here are ten information security issues to think about:

1. Removeable media including thumb drives and MP3 players make it very easy to move information around—as much as 16 Gb. If you use them for sensitive information such as customer lists or, worse, credit card data, be very careful where you leave them. If you lose one you could be in deep, um . . . trouble. For that matter, if someone has access to your computer(s)—even say a baby-sitter—they can use such devices to siphon off valuable information too.

2. Trash can carry all kinds of sensitive information: social security numbers, credit card CVV codes, legal opinions, and so forth. Anyone from the kids down the street to competitors can see it with a little ‘dumpster diving.’ We even had someone pull several bags of trash out of the cans before the garbage truck showed up. We think she was just looking for anything worth selling, but . . . .

3. Hard drives (even cell phones) have all your company and personal data on them. When a drive craps out what do you do with it? A dedicated snoop can resurrect a surprising amount of information from even broken drives. Consider physically destroying the media before you deliver them to a recycling center. You do recycle them, don’t you?

4. Blogs can be a rich source of information for competitors. If you’re a one man (or woman) band this probably won’t be a problem, but if you have any employees that work for you—even teleworkers—watch out what they say. Have a policy in place that employees or contractors understand.

5. Computer screens can tell people a lot when you step away from the computer. If you work at home alone you probably don’t have to worry, but if you’re in a coffee shop and there are people around that could look over your shoulder . . . . A little enlightened paranoia isn’t bad.

6. Passwords give you, and anyone else who has them, access to your sensitive information. Do you write your passwords on a piece of paper and tape it to your computer? If seen people do just that! Do you store your passwords in an unencrypted file on your computer? What if someone steals your computer? Do they own you? Yeah, probably.

7. Encryption, by the way, is a miracle cure. If you encrypt sensitive material on your system if it falls in to the wrong hands it’s pretty much useless—unless the FBI, NSA or CIA is interested in what you have to hide. So-called public key encryption is tough to break, and far beyond what a garden-variety thief can manage, but not impossible.

8. Laptops are portable, by definition. But that also means they can be easily carried off by someone who either wants a free laptop or someone who has an interest in your business information. Hang on to them in public places where a someone can snatch it while you’re looking the other way.

9. Pubic computers at libraries and Internet cafes are minefields of malware. Hackers love to infect those computers with programs that try to steal your passwords and then send the results on to their computer or simply log all the keystrokes that they pick up later (on a thumb drive, probably). Think carefully about what you type into those computers. You may be providing them with access to everything you access.

10. Loose lips still sink ships. We sat at Starbucks and listened to an entrepreneur discussing his negotiating strategy with a buddy or partner before a meeting with an investor. Guess who else was  there listening, sitting behind blabbermouth?

Most home-based businesses are information intensive by their very nature. Don’t ruin you chances of success by ignoring security issues.