Raising Data Security Awareness for the Average Home User

Data Security is a word that we see in the news more and more frequently thanks to the massive increase in technology and the desire to exploit secure data for financial gain. As a result, there has been an explosion of cyber security programs at the government and corporate level all the way down to small businesses. It's simply not something we can ignore without risking massive consequences.

That's all great, but what's missing? A lack of awareness and advocacy for the average home user. That's not to say there is no investment in home data security...there's anti-virus, backup solutions, and other great products...but in the end, their goal is to make money, not educate.

Why is this an issue?

I think it's easy to assume that lack of home user awareness is a non-issue, but I beg to differ. The types of breaches we see in the news are large scale and scary, but that's 1% of all the cyber crime. 

Ever hear the term 'low hanging fruit'? In terms of data security, do you think that describes massive corporate networks or a neglected home computer? I'd go with the latter. Criminals want to make money fast and easy, so by protecting yourself at a personal technology level, you are raising the bar a bit and, ultimately, decreasing your chances of data breach. 

What can we do to help?

Well, it's a work in progress really. Does the average person really want to pay attention to security trends or read technical nonsense? Probably not. But I can't just ignore it.

I've recently started a project called Family Data Security (www.familydatasecurity.com). The goal is to provide a platform where home users can learn about computer security in an easy to understand way, as well as raise general awareness. I must say it's a hard task and it really can't be done alone...we need to the support of many to make it work. 

Do you have projects your working on in this area? I'd love to hear about them!

Summary:

We need to begin putting more resources toward educating the home user about how they can efficiently and easily protect their data. I hope to do this through my new project, www.familydatasecurity.com. If you want to join me on my journey to raise awareness, visit the site and send feedback my way. I'm always looking for opportunities such as partnerships. Also, please comment and share below! I'd love to hear any similar, or opposing, thoughts and ideas!

Travis Romero
Founder, Family Data Security