Protect your business while you fly

Following this weekís terror alerts, resulting in the need to put all your hardware in the hold of a plane, Russell Bolan, European CEO of global systems integrator Dimension Data gives his top tips for keeping your business agile and secure in times of heightened security:

1. Back up your data before you fly
When traveling you should always back up your data in case of theft, loss or damage to your hardware.

At the moment your laptop, mobile phone and Blackberry may well have to travel in the hold of an aircraft rather than in your hand luggage. This heightens the risk of loss, theft or breakage.

To avoid getting to your meetings empty handed or arriving back from a business trip without any notes, make sure you save any work to CD or memory stick as a backup in your suitcase.

As your backup and hardware are both traveling in the hold, it is necessary to back-up data to your UK LAN (Local Area Network) so that you can access the information, even if your hardware and your backup devices are lost.

IT departments will also need to ensure that employees have sufficient capacity in their remote LAN back-up allowance during times of heightened security.

2. Keep your data secure
Although it is more likely that your bag will be taken by someone with the same luggage rather than a calculated theft by a cyber-criminal, you should take simple steps to make sure you do not put your information at risk.

The contents of your laptop and any access to a virtual network should be protected by a password at the very least. The name of your first-born or favourite band is not sufficient ñ make sure you update passwords frequently and use a combination of letters, symbols and numbers.

Documents backed-up on devices such as CDs and memory sticks should always be password protected so they cannot be accessed if lost or stolen.

If working with confidential documents you may well want to ask your IT department to consider encryption to keep data secure.

3. Work where you can
Security alerts can leave you stranded at the airport for hours on end. Most businesses have VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to enable employees to log on to their computer network remotely, whether through their laptop over a wi-fi hot spot or via an internet caf.

Make the most of these opportunities and log on while you wait in the airport before check-in or in your hotel lobby. Donít check-in your luggage until you need to so you can maximize the time you use your laptop for.

If youíre working from an internet caf terminal, check with your IT department that your VPN is sufficiently robust to counter any security risk associated with remote access.

4. Keep your business agile
The qualities of video conferencing and conference calling have improved and these methods are beginning to replace the need for face-to-face meetings. Although it is nice to meet in person, there are likely to be people reluctant to travel as well as increased journey times and delays.

If you have a trip scheduled which is delayed or unlikely to happen, consider other collaborative working methods. Technologies such as ìmeeting placeî enable participants to share documents and video/tele-conference form the office boardroom as well as from individual remote PCs.