Your Hard Drive is like a Credit Card

Ryan Ricks, DataSourceMD
Follow him on Twitter @ryan_ricks

Hard drive failure is one of the leading causes of data loss, and it is an endless source of frustration for the unprepared. Were you aware that your hard drive is like a credit card? Let’s explore the similarities.

Your hard drive has an expiration date, just like your credit card. Your hard drive is the one of the few components in your computer that contains moving parts. As such, it is subject to wear and tear just like anything else. You should expect two or three years out of a drive before replacing it. Although some can last much longer, you should be wise and replace drives every couple of years. This is especially important for workstations that stay on all the time.

Destroy your hard drive when you surplus it, just like an expired credit card. Most of us destroy our old credit cards before throwing them away. If you are replacing a hard drive, you should physically destroy the old one, especially if it contained patients’ health information or other sensitive data. Deleting data doesn’t actually erase it from your hard drive. A competent attacker can recover deleted data with relative ease. Make sure you are physically destroying any surplus hard drives so they cannot be read.

Your hard drive is sensitive, just like your credit card. Most of us take great pains to keep our credit cards safe and secure. However, many of us are much less diligent when it comes to protecting our computers. If you store medical information on your hard drive, you are bound by HIPAA to protect it. The maximum fine for willful neglect was recently increased to $1.5 million, so we all need to be proactive in securing our data.

Attackers want your data, just like they want your credit card. There are many internet scams that try to fool you into revealing your credit card information. Likewise, similar scams try to access your hard drive by tricking you into installing a virus or divulging your passwords. You should always be on guard against fraudulent emails, websites, or instant messages that may be trying to gain access to information on your drive.

You should have a backup of your hard drive, just like you may have a second credit card. Backing up the data on your hard drive is one of the most important things you can ever do. Data loss can occur if your hard drive crashes, becomes corrupted, or if your computer is lost or stolen. External backup drives work great for workstations or desktop computers. However, people tend to forget to plug them in for laptops, tablets, or other mobile computers. If they aren’t plugged in, your backup software can’t run. For that reason, we recommend an off-site backup solution for mobile computers.

Your hard drive is valuable, just like your credit card. As we have seen, your hard drive must be replaced periodically. It must be protected, and it must be backed up.

Ryan Ricks works for DataSourceMD and is responsible for sales, HIPAA compliance, and EHR implementation. Ryan is a CISSP-certified security professional and has eight years experience in Health IT. DataSourceMD is a consultant firm with expertise in solutions on exit strategies, data recovery, extraction, conversion, and retention, as well as Meaningful Use and HIPAA compliance.