Are Data Centers A Deterrent for Hackers?

Hacking can be a huge concern for both your home and office computers. There's the potential to lose private information, like bank passwords and home accounts. Also dangerous is thieves getting access to photos of your family, especially your children.

Fortunately, taking your security a bit more high tech can eliminate potential attacks, both directly on a stolen computer or via online. Using online data centers can also prevent loss of important documents should you experience a theft or a hard drive crash.

New Storage Needs

Back in the day, our data storage needs were a lot simpler. Now with most of us conducting all manner of business online and using smart phones, our demands for data have taken on a new life. Given that, the potential for someone else wanting your data has increased. Hackers can literally take in millions of dollars a year by breaching security systems, and as they can be based anywhere in the world, hunting them down becomes increasingly difficult.

What Are Data Centers?

The days of the giant supercomputer are quickly passing us by as technology gets smaller, cheaper and faster. While some data centers, such as QTS, use "server farms," or giant rooms with row upon row of super-fast processors, many are moving to the safety and security of cloud storage.

By removing saving information on your hard drive, you give hackers one more layer of security they must breach before getting to your files and information. Like most thieves, hackers look for the easiest breaches first.

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Only for Huge Corporations?

In short, absolutely not! Many homes are now using data centers as a good way to not only back up their storage, but to also prevent loss of information through theft of their computer. If you experience a break-in where your computer is stolen, think of all the important - and private - documentation you might lose if you're only storing on a hard drive. Because of that, thieves will often look for a computer or laptop as the first item on their list to steal.

What About Clouds?

Though the idea of "cloud storage" may sound like something out of a fantasy world, the concept is actually very simple. Using a cloud does not mean that computer hardware is somehow not involved. Cloud storage is where someone else maintains the hardware and software at outside locations, and they are accessed by the internet. Many homes and businesses alike are finding that this type of storage is both convenient, safe and best of all, inexpensive.

What Kinds of Items Should I Protect?

Essentially, you will want to protect anything you can't afford to lose. Tax returns, online bank statements, medical histories for either you or your children or legal documents all make good candidates. If you find yourself working at home quite a bit, cloud storage can be particularly handy for accessing those files from anywhere. Also, look at backing up family photos. In this digital age, many people store their precious memories on their hard drives, and losing them could be the most painful of all.

It's a high tech world out there, and with it sadly comes some extremely savvy criminals. Protecting yourself and your family's information with additional security layers can go a long way putting you on the right track to avoid hackers and information thieves. While data centers are not immune from hacker attacks, they are generally better-equipped to handle them than your average home computer.

Debbie Nguyen

About the Author:

Debbie Nguyen knows from first-hand experience the panic caused by the loss of important documents. The portfolio of her life's work was stolen, making it difficult to attain new clients. She should have been backing up with QTS, a data center offering storage of sensitive material.