How I.D. theft happens directly from your computer, hard drives and data backups.

You may have unknowingly or unwittingly given your personal data away for anyone to see.

Having spent ten plus years working for Microsoft Corporation in Redmond Washington as a software builder and lab manager, and another six years as an Internet Security Consultant, I can tell you without a doubt, how important backups of your data and system can be, especially when you loose a hard drive. I can also tell you professionally, how much time, energy and resources are spent trying to protect your data and computer systems from hackers. Billions of dollars are spent on firewalls, data encryption and password security to keep folks out of your system and data, yet most folks are quite willing to let someone into their system, around their firewall or have complete and unrestricted access to their data with no questions asked, just by handing over your hard drive or letting someone connect to your computer remotely for backups and system checks.

Would you hand over your personal or corporate filing cabinets to someone you don't know. Would you be willing to give me your records or tax returns for the past ten years?

Why then, would you personally, or as a representative of a company, be so willing to hand over your hard drive to someone you don't really know, to make copies of your data for the purposes of backup? There are some backup storage facilities and websites that are trustworthy and certified to do this type of work. They have their employees go through police background checks to become certified, but most locally owned computer repair facilities do not screen their employees at all and do not require any type of certification to do secured backups. Claiming they do is one thing, actually being certified is another thing all-together. 

What you now must be told, is that the data you back up must be secured and the security provisions must remain in your control and should not be done remotely. You should also not store your backups or data on an unknown remote server especially in a location you do not know and can not get to. Just recently hundreds of computer repair facilities and web based backup facilities who offer services to back up your data have had their storage systems compromised by both external hackers as well as nosey and unscrupulous internal employees. Most computer repair facilities don't know how to protect your backups and data or have adequate firewalls or security protections in place, to say nothing of their physical building security.

One computer repair facility offering these types of services had their servers stolen directly from their building. They had a simple alarm system and they were located in a rural town their office space was in an isolated corner of a strip mall. Their clients, who were mostly attorneys and accountants, contracted with this computer repair facility on a monthly basis to do remote backups, and did not password protect their backups or data. These attorneys and accountants now have to explain to "their clients", why their client's personal information is being sold on the internet, all for the sake of convenience.

Most of this stolen data ends up for sale on the internet garnered directly from your systems through remote access, directly from your hard drives or from your unsecured and unprotected backups, as well as from unscrupulous employees working for uncertified data storage facilities and computer repair facilities.

Further complicating this issue, are those computer repair facilities and websites who state that they can solve or fix your computer problems remotely through the use of Microsoft's "Remote Access" feature built into Windows XP or the Microsoft Messenger application. Microsoft itself, has warned customers many times that this mechanism is a security risk if used unwisely. This type of theft can also be done through other remote access software like PC Anywhere or Go-To-My-PC, provided you give your permission or passwords. Most computer repair facilities use these tools without taking any precautions for security. Most system owners allow access to their data, backups and hard drives without any thought to who actually gets to see this data and what is most disturbing, will give out their passwords for access without a second thought. Would you give me the "PIN NUMBER" to your bank account? Why then, would you give anyone permission or your password to access your computer "remotely", just for the convenience of backing up your data.

Now, there are proper and safe ways to back up your data and store it securely in your home, or off-site from your business. Laziness is no excuse. Think of your computer, your hard drive and access to your computer through "Remote Access", the same way as you view your "Bank Account". Don't let anyone into your computer for any reason. Don't give out your passwords for remote access. Most Firewalls forbid this remote access even with a password and all of these Microsoft "Remote Access" features are TURNED OFF by default, unless YOU or someone maintaining your computer turns them on. Microsoft spends billions, that's right, billions on making sure no one can get into your computer. But even Microsoft can not protect you from making bad decisions.

My personal advice would be, if your going to allow anyone access remotely to your machine or give someone your hard drive for data recovery or allow a computer repair facility to do repairs and maintenance through "remote access", you should consult with your attorney first and then have the computer repair facility sign a legal document called a "non-disclosure agreement" that specifically states your rights and recourse as well as any compensation to be made, if the data contained in your backup or personal information stored on your computer or hard drive mysteriously makes it's way to the internet or is used for Identity Theft. Also be aware of "Repair Orders" that state "You agree to hold us (computer repair facilities name), harmless in the event of stolen or compromised computer data or backups". Most computer repair facilities will alleviate themselves of responsibility and liability in the event your personal data is compromised, even by their own employees or staff.

In conclusion, we can show you how to properly back up your data and store it properly. If you need "automated backups" on a "periodic basis", we can show you how easily this can be accomplished without compromising or even viewing your data and best of all, you remain in total control and possession of your backups and data.

YOU HAVE BEEN FORWARNED.