Protect Your Little Black Book

The movie Little Black Book features a young woman, Stacy, who is frustrated when her boyfriend refuses to share information about his past relationships. When his PDA, a Palm Tungsten C, falls into her hands, she is faced with a conundrum. Does she give it back, or does she explore it? If she gave it back, we wouldn't have a movie, now would we? Stacy then proceeds to identify his ex-girlfriends and contact them. Let the games begin.

Could this really happen? Of course it could. Most PDA's contain a plethora of information about a person and their activities, their digital footprints. People store contact information, appointments, meetings and midnight rendezvous'. They store passwords, login ID's and PIN numbers. They have photos of people they know and sometimes in awkward circumstances. It's a lot to have to explain. The courts are only beginning to grapple with how to handle the content in a PDA. One person's little black book can be very incriminating indeed.

For the rest of us, we have nothing as exotic; however, we are all in danger of exposure and threat. Identify theft has become one of the largest white-collar crimes. There is enough information in the average PDA for someone to take over your life. So, what's the solution? Give up your PDA? No. You face the same problem with the typical day planner. It has all of the same information, it's just not as accessible. In fact, a PDA has certain advantages over a planner. You can password protect some of the data. You can even encrypt data. Most importantly, you have a backup. The data is safely stored on your computer and archived on external media if you have taken the proper steps.

That duplication of data also means an identity thief has more ways to get to it. So, what can you do? Well, the first concern is to make sure that you backup your data. Synchronize your PDA at least daily. I synchronize my Treo 600 2-3 times each day, usually when I arrive at my office or leave it. Backing up your data means that you should be creating a copy on tape, CD, zip disk, flash ROM or other external media and storing it offsite. If you are not, you are asking for trouble and your business is at risk. If your PDA is ever stolen, you will need to restore that data on a new PDA.

Next, you need to minimize the amount of data someone can actually access. Let's face it, if a hacker really wants to get your data, they will succeed. However, not every criminal is a super hacker. Sometimes you just want to keep your information from prying eyes. Just because you labeled something as private in your PDA doesn't mean someone else can't read it. It depends on what application you synchronize with. If you sync with Outlook, records that are private on your PDA may be public in Outlook.

The best way to protect passwords and PIN numbers is to store them in a password application that encrypts the data. The best applications have both a PDA application and a desktop application that allows access to the information from either system. The trouble is converting that data from whatever format it's in currently. I've struggled with this one myself. There is no easy method I've found so far. Just set aside time to copy and paste the data into the password application. It might take a few hours to get that information into a secure application.

If you're worried about someone viewing your schedule, the best approach is to archive your past history periodically. Outlook has settings that allow you to specify to how often calendar events will be archived. This will wipe the history from your PDA also. Archives are usually stored in an external file that can be accessed later.

If you have incriminating photos, delete them. If you want a copy, save it on external media like tape, CD and flash ROM. For contacts, you can archive them or simply move the record to an external file. Outlook allows you to create a .pst file that you can use to save email, calendar, address, tasks, or other information. Once you move a record, it will be removed from your PDA.

And, don't forget to delete the cookies and memory cache on your PDA's web browser. Remember that website you checked out last week? Is that something you want everyone else to know about? I don't think so.

Don't forget physical security; keep an eye on your PDA. It's possible to take steps to protect your data and remove your digital footprints. Protect your little black book and it will protect you.

Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro, is the PDA Coach for productivity anytime, anywhere. He is a national speaker on business productivity and sales. Rick is President of StratAchieve, a company specializing in coaching services to improve productivity and increase revenues. For more information, visit his website at www.thepdapro.com or call (800) 677-6708.

---

Is the Internet Insecure Because of You?

Long gone are the days that we could feel secure... Read More

Top 10 tips for Safe Internet Shopping

Over £5 billion pounds was spent on online shopping in... Read More

How Spyware Blaster Can Protect Your Computer From Harm

By browsing a web page, you could infect your computer... Read More

What Every Internet Marketer Should Know About Spyware

If you run any type of Internet business, Adware and... Read More

Be Aware of Phishing Scams!

If you use emails actively in your communication, you must... Read More

Securities

NETWORK SECURITIES: IMPORTANCE OF SECURITIESComputers and securities must form a... Read More

Protecting Your Children On The Internet

If you are a parent, as am I, I think... Read More

SPYWARE - Whos Watching Who?

I am in the midst of Oscar Wilde's The Picture... Read More

Spyware is Not Like a Nosy Neighbor

Remember the television show about the nosy neighbor Mrs. Kravitz... Read More

What to Look for before You Purchase Spyware Software

Huge number of spyware software applications are available in the... Read More

Can I Guess Your Password?

We all know that it's dangerous to use the same... Read More

Reducing Fraudulent Transations ? 5 Simple Ways To Protect Yourself

The money being spent online is steadily growing. With billions... Read More

The Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore

The internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource for families and... Read More

Is Your Music Player Spying On You?

In today's times spyware is a very serious issue and... Read More

Make Money Online - Latest Scam Disclosed

Before we start, I want to make it clear that... Read More

3 Steps to Ending Scams and Virus Problems

Watching how the traditional media covers the latest virus or... Read More

Do You Know What your Kids Are Doing Online?

It's a sad statistic, but hundreds of unsuspecting kids are... Read More

Lottery Scam, What It is and how to Avoid It?

Internet scams and frauds are on the rise! The quantity... Read More

IPv6 - Next Step In IP Security

IPv6, IntroductionThe high rate at wich the internet continualy evolves... Read More

How Free Scripts Can Create Security Problems

With the Internet entering our lives in such an explosive... Read More

Arming Yourself Against Spyware

While clicking from site to site on the internet you... Read More

How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Spyware, Adware, and Other Nuisances

Spyware/adware is a new major concern for PC users everywhere.... Read More

Identity Theft - Dont Blame The Internet

Identity theft ? also known as ID theft, identity fraud... Read More

The Bad Guys Are Phishing For Your Personal Information

Do you know what "phishing" is?No, it doesn't mean you... Read More

Spyware ? Your Web Browser is the Culprit!

My first experience with a spyware BHO based infection was... Read More

Instant Messaging ? Expressway for Identity Theft, Trojan Horses, Viruses, and Worms

Never before with Instant Messaging (IM) has a more vital... Read More

Free Antivirus Security Software: Download Now to Eliminate Spyware, Pop Up Ads, etc.

Adware. Spyware. Pesky pop up ads. Internet congestion. Computer malfunctions... Read More

An Open Letter From a So-called Stupid

Someone recently told me, "You would have to be a... Read More

Securing Your Accounts With Well-Crafted Passwords

In the past I've never really paid much attention to... Read More

Crack The Code - Thats A Direct Challenge

I Challenge You To Crack The Code ------------------------------------- I had... Read More

Spyware Protection Software

Spyware protection software is the easiest way of removing spyware... Read More

Passwords or Pass Phrase? Protecting your Intellectual Property

Much has been said on the theory of password protection... Read More

Secrets On Security: A Gentle Introduction To Cryptography

Let us take the example of scrambling an egg. First,... Read More