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It is important to share your files safely when dealing with sensitive information. Ensure that you only share the information to those who need it. This will decrease the likelihood that a significant portion of your data will fall into the incorrect hands in the event of a data breach. Use devices to prevent any unauthorised modifications to files. You can use programs to encrypt files if you are working with someone else on an Excel spreadsheet. This safeguards the file from accidental or malicious modifications and ensures that the numbers are correct.

It’s also a great idea to watermark your files which provides an additional layer of security. It also lets you identify who is accessing your files. You can also add an expiration date to download links, and remove access after a specified period. This will keep hackers out or employees who are not authorized from keeping personal information longer than they are permitted to do by the company’s policies. If you no longer need the file, write an instruction manual that guides your staff on how to write it multiple times (like shredding the file digitally and then degaussing) to ensure that it isn’t able to be resurrected in the future.

The sensitive information stored on your devices, whether research data, student information or carefully designed spreadsheets and other documents is extremely valuable. A mistake could mean that sensitive data could be thrown out in the wild for anyone to exploit, resulting in financial loss or damage to your reputation.